Calvinist Flyswatter

Wax Waxes On About LifeWay's Calvinist-Inspired Curriculum

2012-01-26T14:13:00.001-05:00

In a Baptist Press article, Trevin Wax waxed on about the new curriculum from LifeWay, saying "This is more than curriculum."

Truer words were never spoken. Given that modern Reformed Calvinists have followed the lead from Tom Ascol and the Founders in deceiving churches, I'm sure LifeWay's new Bible study will be much, much more than mere curriculum.

This new LifeWay study will be "for children, students and adults." Remember, dear readers, that for years Tom Ascol and the Flounders has advocated the use of literature in the takeover of churches. In their takeover manual, they state:

Use sound literature, not indiscriminately, but wisely. Set up a book table in your church. Start with little things at first, that is, pamphlets and books with some doctrinal and experiential substance. Some possibilities are John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Martyn Lloyd Jones’s Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Joseph Alleine’s A Sure Guide to Heaven, Horatius Bonar’s Words to Winners of Souls, and J. I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.

Now, of course, Calvinists can just go to LifeWay for literature when they want to takeover a church.

The Founder's takeover manual cautions against being open and honest about the intention to "reform" a church. They say,

Avoid terms such as Calvinism, reformed, doctrines of grace, particular redemption, etc. Most people will not know what you are talking about. Many that do will become inflamed against you.

LifeWay, did you think no one would notice?

Charles

LifeWay's Calvinist Deception Gets Noticed

2012-01-24T10:28:00.010-05:00

Never fear dear readers. The Calvinist Flyswatter is still on the job. On January 11, we alerted Southern Baptists to LifeWay's new Calvinist-influenced literature. Not that it was a secret. Eddie Stetzer openly wrote about it on his blog weeks before. The Baptist Press also reported on it.

But leave it to The Flyswatter to tell the rest of the story, namely that nearly ever person on Eddie's "Advisory Board" was an extreme born-again-before-faith Calvinist.

A little over a week after our Flyswatter article the blog SBC Issues suggested that the literature "needs to be marked as a Reformed, Calvinist Project." Then yesterday Peter Lumpkins released a blockbuster new article, "Lifeway Resources pushes Calvinism in latest Bible study curriculum." Peter has extensive information on exactly who is overseeing this fiasco.

LifeWay has to be aware of the deceptive tactics that SBC extreme Calvinists use to push their radical born-again-before-faith heresy. Tom Ascol's Founder's Ministries, for example, has long advised Calvinist pastors to take over non-Calvinist churches. As part of the "take over plan," the pastors are advised to "avoid terms such as Calvinism, reformed, doctrines of grace, particular redemption, etc." I wonder if the same tactics apply to LifeWay's new literature?

I won't rehash in this article the churches that have been split because of the influence of Tom Ascol and Founders Ministries (yes, they actually call it a ministry). It's time for Southern Baptists to call LifeWay to account. Shame on you, LifeWay!

Charles

Calvinism At LifeWay - New Curriculum Alert!

2012-01-11T06:15:00.005-05:00

Eddie Stetzer recently wrote about a "new gospel-centered, ~~Calvinist-driven~~ theologically-driven curriculum I am helping develop here at LifeWay."

Eddie's "Advisory Council" on the project includes "D.A. Carson, Matt Chandler, James MacDonald, J.D. Greear, Eric Mason, Juan Sanchez, Collin Hansen, Kimberly Thornbury, Joe Thorn, Danny Akin, and Jay Noh."

What a motley "regeneration before faith" crew!

D.A. Carson? Give me a break, the guy is not even Southern Baptist!

Joe "Preach The Gospel To Myself 'Cause I Sure Ain't Preaching It To The Lost" Thorn? What? Next time you see Joe, ask him what he knows about church ~~splitting~~ planting. Would love to write more about Joey. Maybe in a later blog.

Collin "Timmey Brister is the next Martin Luther" Hansen, author of the infamous Young, Restless, Reformed screed. Collin is advising LifeWay? Now I've seen it all.

Kimberly Thornbury? Had to Google this one. Turns out she's the wife of Calvinist Professor Greg Thornbury at the Tennessee Baptist Convention's Union University. Greg was Union's "first dean of the School of Christian Studies" at the ripe old age of 35. Most recently, Greg gave his wholehearted endorsement to The Flounders Calvinist-only church planting network. Next time you run into Greg, ask him about what happened over his inviting so many Presbyterian and Calvinist speakers at Union's chapel. Then duck.

Then there's Danny Akin. After reading his theology text, I don't believe Danny is quite all the way regeneration-before-faith like some others on Eddie's advisory board. Danny, however, does know the way the SBC wind is blowing. He doesn't mind at all cozying up to Tom Ascol or sprinkling compliments on Mark Driscoll.

The only thing that surprises me is that Jared "Exodus 22:18 is a lie!" Moore is not on the list. Isn't Jared a big time author now? I guess the Calvinist pro-witchcraft position sorta cuts you out of some opportunities. For now at least.

First Southern Seminary. Then Southeastern. Then NAMB. Now LifeWay.

God help us.

Charles

Pray For Tom Ascol

2011-11-18T13:09:00.002-05:00

ITEM #1: The Lord hates "a lying tongue" and "one who sows discord among brothers" (Prov. 6:17-19) (I'm using the ESV since it apparently is the only Bible version that extreme Calvinists understand).

ITEM #2: Rather than promote openness and honesty among its supporters, Founders Ministries (yes, they actually call it a ministry) encourages pastors in non-Calvinist churches to "avoid terms such as Calvinism, reformed, doctrines of grace, particular redemption, etc."

ITEM #3: Bill Harrell, a former chairman of the SBC Executive Committee, has commented:

Over the last couple of years I have been casually compiling a list of churches which have been bothered, disrupted and split by [the attempt to "reform" non-Calvinist Southern Baptist churches to Calvinism]. This list continues to grow as I become aware of such churches through conversations with others. The stories are all basically the same and they are tragic. .... it is tragic what happens to a church body when a pastor uses the above mentioned process to try to change a church’s theological orientation from non-Calvinist to Calvinist and the people needlessly and unnecessarily suffer great trauma.

ITEM #4: Many extreme Calvinist pastors who are friendly with Founders Ministries (yes, they actually call it a ministry) have disrupted churches all over the Southern Baptist Convention to the point where many of these churches have split or lost significant members.

ITEM #5: In 2008 the Lord struck Tom Ascol with a lightning bolt prompting The Calvinist Flyswatter to solicit prayers for him.

ITEM #6: A review of the Founders blog shows that after his "lightning rod" experience, Tom significantly cut down on his blogging. By stopping his own blogging he also stopped a lot of the "trash talk" of SBC leaders that were frequently the subject of comments on his blog.

Only the uninformed or the foolish would dispute items 1 through 6.

An unanswered question is, why did the Lord strike Tom down with a bolt of lightning? Was it because the Lord got tired of Tom's promotion of lies and discord among brethren? Did Tom finally see the light (pun intended), realize the discord he was causing and attempt to lessen the trash talk that so frequently filled his blog?

If so, then we need to pray fervently for Tom because he's at it again!

As Flyswatter readers know, an autonomous Kentucky Southern Baptist association recently refused to associate with a church. This church was one with extreme Calvinist Reformed theology such as the heresy that one must be born again before he can believe on Jesus for salvation. I had high hopes that Tom would let this go but no, he lapsed back into his old ways of stirring up trouble among the brethren. In other words, the old Tom Ascol is back!

Look out Tom! Remember the Lord sees and hears all!

Readers, again, I urge you to pray for Tom Ascol!

Charles

One final note: I hope Tom realizes that it's better to be hit with a literal bolt of lightning that to be hit with the White Lightning heresy of regeneration before faith! As you pray for Tom, pray that the Lord will open his eyes to the truth of God's Word regarding the new birth.

Tom Ascol Shares The "Gospel"

2011-11-06T20:14:00.001-05:00

Some time ago we discovered this hidden video of Tom Ascol sharing the "gospel"! I guess anything that would keep Tom from his activities as head of the leading church ~~splitting~~ reforming group in the SBC is a good thing. But he has a lot to learn, doesn't he?

Somehow, I pictured him differently.

Charles

Al Mohler Spits On Adrian Rogers' Grave

2011-11-04T11:44:00.005-04:00

Long time readers of The Calvinist Flyswatter know that we have been concerned about Al Mohler and Southern Seminary for years. In 2006, we published our article Is Al Mohler Responsible For The SBC's Drop In Baptisms? and what we said then is more true today than ever.

Perhaps emboldened that nothing happened to him after we pointed out the obvious, Dr. Mohler has now done the unthinkable. Southern Baptists everywhere should be shocked.

Don't believe me? Watch the video recently posted by Peter Lumpkins. In it, Mohler says there is no other true and viable theological option other than Reformed theology. Of course by this he means the extreme/hyper/hybrid Calvinist theology taught at Southern Seminary which promotes the wild heresy that regeneration, i.e. the new birth, occurs before faith.

Mohler has essentially spit on Adrian Rogers' grave. Mohler says Reformed theology is the only place to go if you are "theologically minded," "deeply committed," and "committed to the gospel." So who was Adrian Rogers, Dr. Mohler? A false prophet?

Southern Baptists, why is this man president of one of our seminaries?

Charles

Did Scott Morgan Apologize To Bob Ross?

2011-10-24T17:28:00.001-04:00

I'm reading some old blogs and noticed the "open letter" apology that Scott Morgan gave to Johnny Hunt a few years ago. Brother Bob noticed an apparent change in Scott's attitude, but I wonder if Scott ever apologized to Bob Ross? He said some nasty things about Brother Bob on this blog and elsewhere.

I googled Scott and found no "open letter" apology to Bob Ross. I found that odd. Why an "open letter" apology to Johnny but not Bob? Scott said when he served the Lord's Supper he examined himself and felt guilty about what he said about Johnny. Does he still serve the Lord's Supper? Does he feel guilty about the things he said about Bob?

Was his apology really grounded in guilt or was it something else? If so, why not apologize to Bob as well as Johnny? Did the apology have anything to do with the fact that Johnny had a big church and connections and could find Scott a job since Scott's "church plant" was going bottom up? Is that why Johnny got an "open letter" and Bob didn't?

What's Scott doing these days? What happened to his "church plant"? Is he still the pastor there? If not, where is he?

Just wondering.

Charles

Comments

2011-10-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

Comments are now open for newer posts.

Charles

Frank Page on Divisive Calvinists

2011-10-21T12:15:00.002-04:00

When asked about challenges facing the SBC, the President of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention responded: Calvinism!

Bob Ross and I have been saying the same thing for years. Now Frank Page is all over it.

Read about his remarks on Peter Lumpkins blog here and here.

Peter says, "divisiveness between Calvinists and non-Calvinists stems in part from men with little to no integrity who attempt to sneak into churches unawares with a specific but unexpressed agenda to convert a non-Calvinist church to the "reformed" faith."

It's time for action. The Convention is at risk. Help us, Frank, help us! May I suggest that we begin by putting pastors in charge of institutions that are supposed to be training pastors?

Charles

Do Southern Baptists Need A New Name?

2011-10-07T11:43:00.002-04:00

Peter Lumpkins has a new article on the name change controversy. Amazing how some of the loud mouths who advocate a name change are Southern Baptists in name only, if that.

Charles

New Twitter from Tom Ascol?

2011-09-30T15:05:00.001-04:00

No! It can't be!

Founders Ministries and Church Planting - Say What?!?

2011-09-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

Some time ago, Brother Bob Ross published an insightful article on the latest hot air from The Flounders regarding church planting.

For years, the strategy of many of their followers seemed to be to sneak an extreme Calvinist pastor into an unsuspecting non-Calvinist church, split the church, and then declare the split to be a "new church plant." Naturally, the new church would soon die on the vine and the extreme Calvinist pastor would be back into the "church planting" business.

That worked for a while. Now many churches have wised up. Search committees are asking more probing questions of pastor candidates and weeding out the Flounder-friendly men. So what is a Flounder pastor or Southern seminary student to do if no Southern Baptist church will call him?

The Flounders, and you have to give Tom Ascol points for creativity here, hit on the answer. Plant new churches! Not Southern Baptist churches, mind you, but Reformed, extreme Calvinist, Flounder-friendly churches disguised as Southern Baptist churches.

All they need now is to get a friendly president at the North American Mission Board to help fund some of these church plants. Oh, wait -- they got that.

NAMB needs a name change which reflects its new mission - a job corp for Southern and Southeastern seminary students and out of work Flounders followers.

Charles

Catching Up

2011-09-26T20:03:00.000-04:00

By necessity, the past few years I fell behind as to what was going on in the Baptist blogosphere. I have a lot of catching up to do and don't really know where to begin.

Sharing Jesus with people who have never heard of Him is certainly more rewarding than blogging or reading blogs. There are people groups around the world who have never heard of Jesus. I pray that He might use us to reach the lost for Him!

However, my absence from this blog has only intensified my belief that The Flounders and their floundering followers is a dangerous movement in Southern Baptist life. Their influence has destroyed and split more churches than anything in recent memory. I also still believe that Southern Seminary under Dr. Al Mohler has greatly contributed to our decline in baptisms. Their extreme Calvinist theology is growing, not diminishing, among pastors. For the most part, these pastors are not evangelistic in any sense except in their own deceived minds.

God bless Bob Ross. I may never get around to reading all of his posts over the past few years but I know he has continued to sound the alarm. God bless bloggers such as Peter Lumpkins. I read some of Peter's old posts the past few weeks and he has given James White and the Founders fits!

The Calvinist Flyswatter may still have work to do. Pray for us.

Charles

Welcome back, Charles!

2011-09-15T23:12:00.003-04:00

I am happy to learn you are alive and well, Charles, and hope all is well with you, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Looking forward to your blogs. It might be of interest to some of us if you gave an account of yourself the past few years of your being AWOL from the Flyswatter.

God Bless You!
Bob L. Ross

I'm back

2011-09-06T19:25:00.003-04:00

A long time ago, a guy who had a blog neglected to keep secure backup copies of his passwords. The guy had a data crash and then took a trip to a far away land where he was able to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Upon returning from the far away land, the guy asked someone smarter than him to help retrieve files from the crashed data drive. The smart guy was not only able to retrieve files but also passwords.

I'm back! What have I missed? The Flounders seem as confused as ever. I hope to continue some blogging but it may be slim pickings for a while. Now where did I put that flyswatter?

Also to Brother Bob Ross: Thank you and bless you!

Charles

P.S. Pray for our brothers and sisters at the IMB! They are doing a great work.

Pilgrim Publications Announces

2010-11-25T10:52:00.004-05:00

Spurgeon's Sermons and Other Pilgrim
Titles: "Hard Times" Special Announced

Bob L Ross and Michael Ross, Directors of Pilgrim Publications, announce:

In view of the current financial "Hard Times," we want to be a blessing to those of you who are desirous of purchasing titles we publish by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). We are offering a "Hard Times" Special which will be in effect over the Winter months. This is the largest discount offered to individuals on our publications since we started publishing in 1969.

40% DISCOUNT on one or more titles by Pilgrim Publications -- no minimums required. This applies to all books by all authors published by Pilgrim.

For examples, this applies to the following:

NEW PARK STREET PULPIT (set)
METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE PULPIT (Sermon series)
THE TREASURY OF DAVID (7 vols. set)
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF C. H. SPURGEON (4 vol. set)
THE SWORD & THE TROWEL (8 vols set.)
ALL HARDBACK TITLES by authors published by Pilgrim.
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This discount does not apply to titles by C. H. Spurgeon which we distribute but are published by other publishers (as indicated on our book list).

Consult our website for the list of titles by C. H. Spurgeon and other authors published by Pilgrim Publications. Otherwise, call or email us for a list of our publications.Shipping cost is additional and depends on the per pound rate charged by delivery companies.

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By Email pilgrimpub@aol.com

Founders' Image-Makeover?

2010-10-20T15:57:00.008-04:00

Founders Ministries continues
its apparent image-makeover

Timmy Brister, the No. 2 Blogger-in-chief for the Founders Ministries, headed by Tom Ascol, has posted what appears to be at least a semi-penitent article. Brister -- whom we have often found reason to blister on the Flyswatter -- acknowledges his less than "honorable and mature" response in his past years of blogging against "non-Calvinists" whom he alleges have attacked the Founders' version of "Calvinism."

Brister says -- "Regrettably, I did not respond in ways that were honorable or mature. When the Lord dealt with me about my attitude and approach in my blogposts, I removed all that I felt where ad-hominem and disgraceful. I mourn over my arrogance and disrespectful attitude and publicly ask forgiveness from Johnny Hunt and others who deserved far more than I had delivered through my ill-conceived comments."

Brister's blundering boisterous blogging was one of the reasons the Flyswatter came to refer to the Founders as the "Flounders." His blogging was generally more of amusing novelty than anything else.

We will not "beat a dead horse" and rehash Brister's past blunders, but we will just say we are happy to see him hopefully take-a-turn-for-the-better. His recent expression of penitence will perhaps help to further the Founders' efforts in making-over their image.

Of course, all their talk about church planting, building bridges, erecting websites, and getting along with non-Calvinists will not really answer to what is really needed in the Founders. They should renounce their statement of purpose, disavow their Hybrid Calvinism, and completely disband their proselytizing sect.

They could then perhaps write another "Purpose" statement which promotes the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20, and possibly call themselves the "Great Commission Fellowship."

Founders' Revised Blog

2010-10-11T13:08:00.007-04:00

Congratulations to the Founders
seem to be in order

I am in the habit of checking on the Founders Ministry blog to keep abreast of what their "reformation" is up-to. Lately, it seems that the Founders have changed their blog's heading, and they have apparently abandoned using the art drawings of several notable Baptists of past ages. I commend them for this change. The use of those drawings apparently was intended to allege that the Founders perpetuated the views of these outstanding Baptists of the past.

However, as we have demonstrated for the past few years (since early 2006), the Founders are not as representative of these men as they would apparently have you think. In fact, we find the Founders far more representative of Pedobaptist or Reformed Hybrid Calvinism than the theology of Baptists. It would have been more appropriate for the Founders to use art-drawings of Pedobaptist notables than of Baptist notables.

[NOTE, Oct. 13, 2010: Since posting this blog, I went back and retrieved a comment we published awhile back about this matter:

The Flounders would at least give some respectability to themselves if they changed those photos on their blog. Remove those Baptists whom they do not really represent, and put up photos of the following:

Ernest Reisinger
Iain Murray
Louis Berkhof
Tom Nettles
Tom Ascol
Bill Ascol
Fred Malone

These, I think, may more appropriately be called the "Founders." I think Murray and Berkhof should be there due to the influence of their Hybrid Calvinist theology on the Flounders. In fact, they might want to put photos of Pedos R. C. Sproul and Martyn Lloyd-Jones up there, too, since Ernie Reisinger cites their influence on his theology (Ernest Reisinger, A Biography, page 217). Iain Murray belongs there, if for no other reason than he "fathered" the anti-invitationalism for which the Flounders have become so well-known].

In view of the Founders' abandoning the use of Baptist figures on their blog, we feel it is in order to Congratulate them on the revision. A visit to their blog will now be far less agitating than we have hitherto experienced.

Comments: To have your comment posted on the Flyswatter, send them to our email: pilgrimpub@aol.com Our combox is currently unattended.

Dr. Mohler and Yoga

2010-10-08T17:57:00.012-04:00

Dr. R. Albert Mohler Takes on Yoga

Some may be wondering why a prestigious Seminary's president seems to be "all worked up" about Yoga. Has Yoga infiltrated the Seminary or the constituency of the Southern Baptist Convention?

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, has recently created somewhat of a furor about Yoga. See Al's latest comments here.

We are even more flabbergasted by Dr. Mohler's concern about Yoga when, to our knowledge, he has never raised his voice or pen about the Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinism which is rampant at Southern. (See our earlier blog).

Mohler has "played footsies" with Pedobaptist scholars who teach that "coventant children" get regenerated in their mothers' wombs or shortly after their births, and he does not seem to be concerned about these errors. He has even had some of them [such as John Frame] to speak at SBTS and he has participated with them in "conferences," etc. Some of his graduates, such as Timmy Brister of the Founders Ministries, apparently have imbibed the Pedobaptist heresy of "born again before faith" [i. e. "regeneration precedes faith"]. See Brister's remarks here. Also here.

I doubt that Yoga is much of a threat to most Southern Baptists so as to hinder evangelism and church planting, but we have no doubts about the negative influence of the Hybrid Calvinism held by some of the Seminary profs and graduates.

Dr. Mohler and "Stalled" Church Planting

2010-10-04T19:45:00.009-04:00

Dr. Mohler, the Louisville Seminary, and
"Stalled" Church Planting in the SBC

A recent cover story by Molly Worthen in Christianity Today (posted October 1, 2010) alleges that church planting in the Southern Baptist Convention has "stalled" since the conservative resurgence and during the years of Dr. R. Albert Mohler's tenure [from 1993] as president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Kentucky .

The article in CT by Molly Worthen says:

"Conservatives have conquered every major SBC body (with a few important exceptions, including Baylor University, whose moderate trustees broke from the SBC, and the Texas and Virginia state conventions, which remain in moderate control, forcing conservatives in those states to found their own conventions). Yet all is not well. Southern Baptist baptisms have fallen for the second year in a row, and everyone admits that the official membership tally—some 16 million—is a gross exaggeration of how many people show up in church on a given Sunday (perhaps by as much as half). Young people are leaving. Church-planting has stalled."

Is there a correlation between they type of theology on the New Birth taught at Southern Seminary and by other advocates (such as the Founders Ministries) of the Reformed Hybrid Calvinist delusion and the decrease in baptisms and church plantings? We think there is.

What part, if any, is this "stalling" due to what has gone on at the Louisville Seminary under Mohler's watch -- a period in which Mohler has been instrumental in the promotion of Hybrid Calvinism on the SBTS faculty?

This CT article is reminiscent of an article posted by Charles on April 28, 2006 in the Calvinist Flyswatter, entitled "Is Al Mohler Responsible for the SBC's Drop in Baptisms?" The article stated:

"Mohler has done a marvelous job in some ways. He has hired faculty that actually believe the Bible instead of paying lip service to it. I commend him for this. Unfortunately, Mohler went outside the SBC for much of his faculty hiring, and retained several professors who adhere to the heresy that a person must be born again before placing faith in Jesus Christ. Bob Ross and I have written about this extensively on this blog. . . . Dr. Mohler's seminary is churning out Blogging Calvinists and Reforming Calvinists but where are the church growing Southern Baptists? For the answer to why baptisms are down, Southern Baptists need to examine Southern Seminary and Dr. Al Mohler."

In his article, Charles cited several examples of how Mohler has been instrumental in promoting the Reformed non-creedal Hybrid Calvinist heresy of "pre-faith regeneration," or "born again before faith." See the original article. See another item here.

It has been observed by many that the Reformed Hybrid Calvinist teaching on the new birth appears to be lacking in promoting evangelism and church planting. [Note the remarks by Timmy Brister of the Founders Ministries in regard to his disappointing experience in the training he received at SBTS]. Those in the Pedobaptist Reformed camp who hold this non-creedal view on regeneration primarily depend upon infant baptism/infant church membership to grow and/or replenish their church rolls. They presume that the children born to church members are "covenant children" [i. e. elect] and get regenerated either before physical birth or shortly thereafter. There is very little evangelism to speak of among the Pedobaptist Reformed Hybrid Calvinists. See here and here and here. Southern Baptists, however, do not have the ecclesiastical luxury of relying upon the assumption that elect infants are born again either before physical birth or shortly thereafter. Rather, Southern Baptists who are faithful to our Baptist Confessions of Faith believe that the new birth is wrought by the Word and Spirit in which operation there is the creation of faith in Christ.

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God's Voice in Regeneration

2010-08-07T16:15:00.007-04:00

God's "Voice" (John 3:8) in the New Birth
or Regeneration by the Holy Spirit

Over many years, we have affirmed the necessary instrumental use of "means" -- the Word of God, the Gospel -- in the New Birth or Regeneration. We not only believe this is the teaching of the Bible, but it is the teaching set forth in our Baptist Confessions of Faith, contrary to the Pedobaptist "Reformed" and Hardshell view that the "Spirit alone" (apart from or without the use of "means") produces the new birth.

In a recent study in John chapter 3, my attention was drawn to a part of verse 8 which I had overlooked in past studies, and I think it adds to the case that the "means" of the Word of God is employed by the Holy Spirit in a lost person's being "born again." In my recent research on John 3:8, I found that I am not the only one who has evidently overlooked what is revealed in this passage.

In checking several commentaries, I did not find the commentators making any significant remarks on the words of Jesus to Nicodemus in verse 8 --

"thou hearest the SOUND thereof."

My interest was focused on the word "sound" and to what it referred in the context of being born again by the Holy Spirit. This is not the word for "sound" which simply refers to any type of random sound or meaningless noise which one might hear. Rather, it is, in the Greek language of the Scriptures, the word "phone" (See Strong's Concordance #5456; Vine's Dictionary under "sound" and "voice"), and is used for distinctive, meaningful sound.

Actually, the Greek word is most frequently rendered "voice," and is so rendered in the KJV well over 100 times. It is a word which refers to language, speech, utterance, and saying, and that which has a distinctive sound which is understandable (see I Corinthians 14:7)

Also, it is even translated "voice" in John 3:8 in a number of Bible versions, including the American Standard Version, Wycliffe's, Young's, Darby's, English Revised Version, and Douay-Rheims.

The word "voice" in John 3:8 therefore equates to the Word of God in this context.

W. E. Vine points out that "phone" is translated in the King James Version in reference to the voice (1) of God, (2) of Christ, (3) from Heaven, (4) at the resurrection, (5) at the resurrection to judgment, and of course in John 3:8 where "voice" is related to the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Birth.

Thus, when Jesus referred to the unseen work of the Spirit in the New Birth and compared it to the unseen wind and its "sound" (voice), He included a reference to the Word of God which is the instrumental means employed by the Spirit. One cannot "see" the Spirit do His work in the hearts of men, but one can hear the Word by which He brings men to conviction, repentance, and faith in Christ.

This passage therefore adds further emphasis to the refutation of the Pedobaptist "Reformed" and Hardshell heresy on the new birth which alleges that it takes place before, apart from, and without the use of "means," as presented by writers such as Shedd, Berkhof, and their followers.

Addendum: August 8, 2010

Since posting the foregoing, Pastor David Pledger of Houston, Texas referred me to C. H. Spurgeon's sermon, The Heavenly Wind, in which Spurgeon commented on the "sound" of the Spirit in John 3:8 as referring to the Word of God:

Now, Beloved, this shows us that the hearing ear is intended, by God, to be the discerner of the Spirit to men—to the most of men the only discerner that they have. “You hear the sound of it.” What a wonderful dignity the Lord has been pleased to put upon this little organ, the ear! The Romish Church gives the preference always to the eyes. Her priests are always for astonishing men into grace with their wonderful “performances”! But God’s way is, “Faith comes by hearing,” and the first detector of the Holy Spirit is the ear. To some men this is the only revealer of His mysterious Presence, as I have already said—they hear the sound of it, that is to say, they hear the Gospel preached—they hear the Word of God read. Truth, when it is couched in Words of God, is the rustling of the holy wind, it is the footstep of the Eternal Spirit as He mysteriously passes along a congregation. Oh, what grief it is that some never get any further than this, but abide where Nicodemus was at the first—they hear the sound and nothing more. Some of you are now daily hearing the Truth of God which has saved thousands, but it does not save you! You are hearing the very Truth of God which peoples Heaven, but yet it leaves you without a hope of eternal life! Yet be you sure of this, the Kingdom of God has come near you. “You hear the sound of it,” and that wind whose whispers you hear is not far off your own cheeks. When you hear the rustling among the branches of the trees, the breezes are not far to seek, nor is the Spirit of God far away when His sound is heard (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 23, page 307).

Also, in a sermon, The Spirit and the Wind, C. H. Spurgeon refers to the "sound" of the Spirit is being heard when we hear the Scriptures, the Word of God:

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound thereof.” Yes, we cannot see the wind but we can hear it. So may you hear the Spirit of God. When you hear the Scriptures and read the Word, the Spirit of God speaks to you. It is well to hear the Spirit whisper in the ear of conscience when He presses home the truth, and makes the mind to feel its power. Sweetest of all is it when the newly-opened ear hears the Spirit of God speak to it with its own peculiar, “still small voice.” Then it is sweetly true. “You hear the sound thereof.”

My dear Hearers, do you know anything about this? Has the Spirit of God so worked in you that you have recognized the sound? It is a manifest work—have you felt it? (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 35, Year 1889, page 56).

(COMMENTS: To have your comment posted on this blog, please send them to pilgrimpub@aol.com and state "For posting on the Calvinist Flyswatter." (Currently, our combox for this blog is not being moderated).

John T. Christian on the "Hardshells"

2010-07-26T11:43:00.007-04:00

Stephen Garrett Continues in the
Historical Search on the "Hardshells"

Baptist Historian John T. Christian on the Hardshells

John T. Christian (emphasis mine - SG) wrote:

"Contemporaneous with the formation of the Triennial Convention there began among some Baptists an aggressive campaign against missions, education, Sunday schools, and indeed almost everything that organization fostered. The history of the Baptists of that period would be incomplete which did not give an account of the anti-effort secession variously called anti-missions and hardshellism. One can hardly, in this day, understand the rancor of speech which prevailed for years in many of the churches, and most of the early associations."

For the rest Stephen Garrett's article which features quotations from John T. Christian, go to:
BaptistGadlfy

"Primitive Baptist" Book Reviewed

2010-07-22T11:47:00.003-04:00

Stephen Garrett on Dr. Watson's
"The Old Baptist Test" Book of 1867

In 1867 Elder John M. Watson of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, submitted for publication his book called "The Old Baptist Test or Bible Signs of the Lord's People."

Elder Watson, however, died before its publication and it was left to Elder R. W. Fain, a fellow medical doctor with Elder Watson, to edit and publish his book. Its republication, in our times, is due to Elder Harvey Fulmer, a "Primitive" or "Hardshell" Baptist minister, with whom I am personally acquainted.

This is a valuable book for any student of the history of the "anti mission movement" of the early 19th century, a movement that spawned the "Primitive Baptist" denomination.

Elder Watson was a leader in this movement and was a spokesman for the movement in middle Tennessee, although his influence extended far beyond his adopted home state (he was born in North Carolina). He was a close associate of many of the leaders in this movement, such as Gilbert Beebe, Wilson and Grigg Thompson, John Clark, and James Osborne. He wrote articles for the movement's leading periodicals from the 1830s to time of his death, such papers as "The Signs of the Times," "The Old Baptist Banner," "The Primitive Baptist," "The Christian Doctrinal Advocate and Spiritual Monitor," "The Herald of Truth," and many other smaller temporary periodicals, no doubt. When the leaders of the movement visited middle Tennessee, Elder Watson was there to greet them and recommend them to his Hardshell brethren.

FOR THE REST OF BROTHER GARRETT'S ARTICLE, GO TO:
BaptistGadfly

Pilgrim Publications' Web Site

2010-07-07T11:35:00.006-04:00

Pilgrim Publications' Web Site
Is Being Recontructed

Due to some technical difficulties and Mike Ross' health problems for the past several months, our former web site has been stationery or inactive. However, thanks to the assistance of a local brother (Max Spiller) who is efficient in creating web sites, we have gradually been reconstructing our presence on the Internet. [http://www.pilgrimpublications.com/]

Both before and after Mike's health problems and surgeries of 2009, Max and Mike had been getting together occasionally to erect a new website while the old one was still online with nearly all of the essential information needed by anyone who was interested in our publications.

Mike's time is more limited these days, with his having kidney dialysis for several hours on Tue-Thur-Sat and physical therapy for some hours on Mon-Wed-Fri. Max also lives several miles from us and can only come to assist Mike with certain things as he has the opportunity.

As time goes on, we expect the web site will continue to develope material which will be of interest to people who are interested in C. H. Spurgeon and his works. I continue to keep my "personal" and "opinionated" writings in my emails and on the two blogs, the Calvinist Flyswatter and the Reformed Flyswatter. The URLs to those blogs are as follows:

http://calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com/
http://reformedflyswatter.blogspot.com/

On these blogs, I try to call the attention of the professed Calvinist brethren to some of the "ditches" into which many have fallen over the past years dating back to the 1950s.

I hope you will take a look at the new yet under-construction web site and consult it for any information about C. H. Spurgeon and the publications we have of his sermons and works.

May God Bless You!
Bob L. Ross, Numbers 6:24-26

Comments: The combox of the Calvinist Flyswatter is not accessible to me, but you may address comments to my email at pilgrimpub@aol.com, or post them in the combox at the Reformed Flyswatter which is accessible to me.

James White . . . de ja vue

2010-06-30T14:27:00.004-04:00

James White Repeats His Misrepresentation
of Peter Ruckman on the King Jame Bible

It's sad enough that a self-proclaimed apologist is so appalling that he misrepresents the views of others whom he ostensibly is refuting in a book; but when he announces that he is going to "revise" the erroneous book, yet repeats the same misrepresentation, the latter is worse than the first.

This is the case with James White and his book, The King James Only Controversy -- Can You Trust Modern Translations? We discovered from the first edition (1995) of the book that James can't be trusted to represent the peculiar views of Peter Ruckman, and the "revised" edition of 2009 reveals that James is still in the same darkness about Ruckman as he was fifteen years ago.

On pages 27, 28 of the latest edition, James repeats the misrepresentation that Ruckman advocates a view of the KJB which holds that "God 're-inspired' the Bible in 1611, rendering it in the English language," and in a footnote (#7) he identifies Peter Ruckman as "a prime example of this perspective" (pages 27, 28).

The only prime example here is James, who gives a prime example of his ignorance of Ruckman's view about the King James Bible. We have covered this matter in time past, as follows:

>>
A few years ago, when James set out to "take on" Peter Ruckman, James was quite unprepared for doing so. He failed to realize that the very first thing one needs to understand is the stated position of the person whom he endeavors to refute. James, unfortunately, had not studied Ruckman very carefully, and evidently simply assumed what Ruckman believed about the KJV and "inspiration."

When James' book, The King James Only Controversy, made its first appearance in the distant past [1995], we erroneously thought that it was worthy of commendation, and we promoted it. But after carefully examining what James said about Ruckman's view, we discovered that he was very seriously deficient in regard to what Ruckman teaches about the KJV, and we had to withdraw our endorsement of the book. Since we had been critical of Ruckman's views long before James made the mistake of trying to deal with Ruckman, we did not want Ruckman to associate us in any way with James White's misrepresentation.

James foolishly categorized Ruckman as believing the KJV was "RE-INSPIRED" by God in 1611 (The King James Only Controversy, pages 4, 6).

It is no marvel that Ruckman literally laughed-off James as a "fool" when Ruckman reviewed James' book! This is the furtherest thing to what Ruckman actually believes.

Ruckman, in his most "famous" booklet entitled, Why I Believe the King James Bible is the Word of God, plainly states:

"I'VE NEVER SAID THAT THE KING JAMES BIBLE WAS INSPIRED" (page 6, edition of 1988; page 7, undated reprinted edition I obtained from Ruckman in 2005).

See the following link for quotations in the "Comments" section on Sunday, April 02, 2006 as to what Ruckman actually teaches: HERE
>>
[Or, see Ruckman's view below].

James should have had no problem correcting his blunder made in the first edtion of his book where he misrepresented Ruckman's view, if he had simply read Ruckman's comment or even our comments about James' error. He really had no justifiable excuse for his error in the first edition (1995), and now he has failed to make a correction in his revised edition (2009).

Perhaps someone should send for the "paddy-wagon."

We know it does not appear to be in James' persona to acknowledge errors of this type, but if he doesn't do so after he has been guilty of twice misrepresenting Ruckman, it will only serve to justify Ruckman's categorizing James as a "fool," and it will further demonstrate why we say that as an "apologist" James is better described as an "appallingist."

Ruckman's view

For years, I have offered a financial reward for any one who can find where Ruckman has ever affirmed that he believed the KJV -- or any version of the Bible -- was INSPIRED.

Ruckman does not believe that any WRITER or WRITING was inspired, but he believes that it was the ORIGINAL "SPEAKING" that was "given by inspiration."

Ruckman has NEVER affirmed that any "writing" was inspired. How could a great appallingist like James White miss this fact?

Here are a few remarks from Ruckman which demonstrate the fact that Ruckman does not believe in what the "ordinary Bible believer" believes about an "inspired" Bible:

"The holy men of God who 'spake' -- NOT 'WROTE'" (Bible Believers Bulletin, 1/96, p. 12).

His view of "inspiration" is that what the prophets and apostles "spake" was "given by inspiration." Actually, Ruckman denies the "plenary, inerrant" inspiration of writing. Here is his comment:

"Such terms as 'plenary' and 'inerrancy' and the like are manufactured terms, and they were invented by the Cult" (BBB, 4/89, page 2).

In his book, Pastoral Epistles (page 270), he says:
"We do NOT refer to the AV as the 'verbally inspired, inerrant Word of God."

"Verbal' inspiration is connnected with speaking, NOT WRITING, because 'breath' is involved" (BBB, 6/92, p. 19).

As for the "inspiration" of the KJV or any other version, he says:

"Not one time did God guarantee that ONE of the translations was inspired" (BBB, 11/91, page 10)."

"And I never told anybody on the face of this earth that the King James is a word for-word translation of Greek or Hebrew" (BBB, 7/92, page 20).

On "italics," Ruckman says:
"I never told anybody on the face of this earth the italics in a King James Bible were inspired" (BBB, 7/92, page 20).

Now, if any one in this reading audience can find anywhere that Ruckman himself ever said or wrote that ANY Bible, KJV or otherwise, is the "INSPIRED Word of God," please send me the quote. I have been asking for it for several years and thus far, no one -- including Ruckman and his disciples, the so-called "Ruckman Knights" -- has sent it to me.

I will give $100 for any quotation from Ruckman himself where he ever said the Bible is "inspired."

Putting confidence in James White as an apologist is obviously the type of thing referred to in Proverbs 25:19 -- "like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint."

Garrett's Hardshell Research

2010-06-16T15:47:00.003-04:00

Stephen Garrett Reveals More on Hardshell History

Stephen Garrett at BaptistGadfly continues to impress with his research and writings about "Hardshell Baptists" [aka "Primitive Baptists"]. Here is the introduction to his ongoing Hardshell material, based on what he found at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

Jun 15, 2010

The Seceder Hardshells
Last November, when I had a debate with John Gentry, Campbellite, we held the debate on the campus of SBTS in Louisville. During this two day stay in Louisville, I was able to visit the campus library and look up some old books and records relative to the early 19th century "split" between the "anti mission" or Hardshell Baptists and those who supported missions. I found an old book on the history of the Liberty Baptist Association and on the "split" between the Hardshells and the general body of Baptists. I copied some pages at that time but did not get to copy as much as I had liked. Recently, I was able to find this history on the internet! I was so glad to have found it as it is an able defense against the Hardshell claims and pretenstions. Below are some notes taken from this work with some comments of mine. When I get back to writing and editing my on-going book on the Hardshells, I hope to make use of these notes. All highlighting and emphasis is mine - SG.

The front page of this work reads as follows:

"OF THE LIBERTY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION FROM ITS ORGANIZATION IN 1832 TO 1906 Containing Much History Incidentally Connected with this Body ALSO There is presented quite an extended account of the "Split" in Baptist ranks, showing who are the "Primitive Baptists," together with Side-Lights on the "Split."

It was written by Elder Henry Sheets on behalf of the Liberty Association.

Sheets wrote:

For the rest of the article, click here: Seceder Hardshells

"Founders" announce another "plant"

2010-06-10T11:21:00.006-04:00

THE "FOUNDERS" HAVE SET OUT
ANOTHER WEB SITE "PLANT"

Brother Ian Elsasser has called my attention to a new web site planted by the Founders Ministries ["Flounders"]. He says:

"Isn't this the same Timmy Brister that announced Grace Baptist Church was planning to plant a church which, to my knowledge, has never seen the light of day? The last post on the church plant website is dated December 20, 2008 (http://sowinggrace.com/). Yet having never planted a church or been involved with planting a church, he presumes to be an instructor to others. This strikes me as a little hollow -- if they are this eager about church planting, should they not be engaged in the activity? This seems to be the case of those who can't tell others how to do it."

We have called attention to the pretensions of the Flounders as to "church planting" several times on the Flyswatter, but thus far we have yet to see any evidence that any alleged "plant" has taken root and produced anything worthy of notice. They are very adept at "planting" blogs, web sites, conferences, and propaganda, but "where's the beef?"

Their latest "plant" is called PLNTD, and is a web site which comes on with a lot of flourish, promising great things in "church planting." Past forecasts about church planting by the Flounders have failed to live up to the hype, so we wonder what results will come of this new "plant."

The Founders Ministries' original founding "purpose" was allegedly to"recover the gospel" and promote the "doctrines of grace" according to the Founders' theology, ostensibly labled as "Calvinism," but more aptly categorized as Hybrid Calvinism:

"The purpose of Founders Ministries is the recovery of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in the reformation of local churches. We believe intrinsic to this recovery is the promotion of the Doctrines of Grace in their experiential application to the local church particularly in the areas of worship and witness. This is to be accomplished through a variety of means focusing on conferences and including publication, education, pastoral training and other opportunities consistent with the purpose. Each of the ministries will be developed with special attention to achieve a healthy integration of doctrine and devotion."

Since their founding in 1982, they have had some success in proselytism and influencing divisions and splits in churches, but we have seen no evidence of churches being planted due to evangelism and soul winning. In fact, evangelism of the unsaved was never a part of the Founders Ministries' purpose, so far as we can discern.

In more recent years, the Founders Ministries has made some pretensions of having an interest in missions and church planting, evidently to at least put on a "face" that they are interested in more than propagating Hybrid Calvinism. But what this amounts to is simply what one reads on their blogs and web sites. We will be watching to see if the new web site amounts to anything more than similar floundering promises.

Comments: All comments for the Flyswatter should be sent to this email address: pilgrimpub@aol.com. The combox on this blog is not currently operable.

Founders continue to flounder

2010-06-03T12:48:00.007-04:00

FOUNDERS WANT $20 TO HEAR
HYBRID CALVINIST R. C. SPROUL

I notice that the "Flounders" (aka "Founders Ministries") wants you to pay $20 to attend their annual pre-Southern Baptist Convention breakfast this year in Orlando on June 15, 2010. You get breakfast plus a message from a leading Hybrid Calvinist speaker.

The guest speaker, who makes a good living off of conferences and speaking engagements, is R. C. SPROUL -- one of the "chief rabbis" of the Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinist camp of "Reformed" theology.

Sproul not only advocates sprinkling babies and adding them to the church roll, he believes they can be "born again" in infancy (Reformation Study Bible, per the insert article on "Regeneration" at John 3).

Not only so, Sproul believes that an elect infant might even be born again before his physical birth. He says, "It is possible that God gave me new life within the womb, and over time I came into a deeper understanding of the faith He gave me."

So Sproul thinks it is "possible" he was born again in his mother's womb? Sproul has said he learned this type of phantasmagorical Hybrid Calvinism in a seminary of the pedobaptists (baby sprinklers):

"One of the most dramatic moments in my life for the shaping of my theology took place in a seminary classroom. One of my professors went to the blackboard and wrote these words in bold letters:
REGENERATION PRECEDES FAITH" (Chosen of God, page 72).

Ever since learning that biblical and theological error from his pedobaptist professor, Sproul has been an ardent advocate of the "born again before faith" heterodoxy. The Flounders are committed to the same error, hence their infatuation with Sproul and others who spawn this teaching. This teaching is one of the primary reasons why we see little to no evangelism by the Hybrid Calvinists. While the Flounders have from time-to-time professed to be interested in "church planting," so far as we can learn they have little if anything to show in that category.

If you have $20 to waste in Orlando, you might find a better meal at Disney World than at the Flounders' breakfast.

COMMENTS: Comments for this blog may be sent to pilgrimpub@aol.com. Do not enter comments on this blog.

The Bible on the top of your car?

2010-05-20T11:36:00.003-04:00

DON'T PUT YOUR BIBLE
ON THE TOP OF YOUR CAR!

A few years ago, my now departed deaf friend, Felix, called me to say he had lost his Bible!

He had just recently bought a wonderful Bible and Bible case at my book store, and now he was almost in tears over losing it. I sympathized with him and encouraged him to search around . . . perhaps it had been merely misplaced somewhere in the house.

A few weeks past, then I received a phone call from a party who lived in a trailer park, not far from Felix's home. He said he had found a Bible in a case, lying in a gutter and it had our store's name and phone number inside -- but there was no other information about whose Bible it was.

I went over to the person's trailer to examine the Bible, and -- sure enough -- it was Felix' Bible. He had evidently placed the Bible on top of his car as he was preparing to leave for church and for some reason had forgotten to fetch it before driving away.

Remarkably, the Bible and case were in good condition. Evidently it had been found by the person who called before any damage could occur.

It was on December 24, and I drove over to Felix' home to return the Bible. When he opened the door, I said, "Santa Claus has arrived a little early!" and presented him with the Bible. He was as happy as a kid with a load of toys from Santa's sleigh!

I recently started to leave for an evening Bible study and reached for my Bible at the place I usually keep it. It was not there. I looked all around for it, but no Bible. Why? Where was it?

I immediately thought about Felix and his lost Bible, and I also thought about another time last year when I pulled out of my driveway and saw pieces of paper flying by. I had inadvertently left my Bible, usually stuffed with various printed items, on top of the car and the papers were flying all over the place. I stopped, retrieved the Bible, and then spent several minutes recovering as many of the scattered papers as I could see. Don't know yet if I got them all.

I now wondered if I had done that again! I resorted to my usual practice when I lose something: I asked the Lord to please help me find my Bible! It not only had a lot of small papers stuffed inside the front and back, but had years of notes, etc. on the pages, plus a lot of information about births, marriages, deaths, events, etc. written in the front and back pages. How would I assemble all of this information again!

After I returned from the Bible study, I did another search around the place, praying, "Lord, please help me find my Bible!"

I looked all around my office, all around every aisle and shelf in the store, and even looked around in the warehouse side of our building. No Bible.

Finally, I went over to the front door where there is a tall "spinner" rack which displays larger products such as calendars. There it was -- safely lying in the top hanger of the spinner where I had left it! It had been placed there temporarily when I was doing something else around the front entrance, and I had failed to pick it up when I finished. The Lord had come through again!

Sure, I know that sooner or later, I would have probably come across the Bible, or some customer might call it to my attention -- but it surely did save me from a lot of anxiety to locate the Bible on the same evening I had discovered that it was missing. I was so relieved to know that I had not pulled a "Felix" and lost the Bible off the top of my car!

And I was grateful to the Lord for helping me find it!

"HARDSHELLISM" VIDEO ON THE WEB

2010-05-03T11:37:00.001-04:00

"HARDSHELLISM" VIDEO

Brother Stephen Garrett has posted the following notice on his BaptistGadfly blog:

Video on Hardshellism

My friend Bob L. Ross of Pilgrim Publications invited me to Texas in the early 1990's to do a video on the Hardshell or Primitive Baptist cult. This video is on the internet and can be viewed at the following web site.See http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5943967/15468873

Spurgeon & "Just As I Am"

2010-03-17T00:07:00.011-04:00

SPURGEON ON THE GREAT HYMN OF INVITATION, "JUST AS I AM" by CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT (1789-1871)

Charlotte Elliott's great hymn, "Just As I Am," was included in C. H. Spurgeon's OUR OWN HYMNBOOK, #546, giving it a very unique place in Christian hymnology associated with England's most famous Baptist minister and church. It was frequently sung at the Tabernacle and apparently was especially selected in evangelistic settings.

Next to "Amazing Grace" by John Newton, perhaps no other hymn has been sung in Baptist churches more frequently than "Just As I Am." C. H. Spurgeon relates the following about Charlotte Elliott's conversion and hymn:

>>Some have been cast by the providence of God into positions where they have met with Christian men, and a word of admonition has been blessed to them. A lady was one day at an evening party, and there met with Caesar Malan, the famous divine of Geneva, who, in his usual manner, enquired of her whether she was a Christian. She was startled, surprised, and vexed, and made a short reply to the effect that it was not a question she cared to discuss; whereupon, Mr. Malan replied with great sweetness, that he would not persist in speaking of it, but he would pray that she might he led to give her heart to Christ, and become a useful worker for him. Within a fortnight she met the minister again, and asked him how she must come to Jesus. Mr. Malan’s reply was, “Come to him just as you are.” That lady gave herself up to Jesus: it was Charlotte Elliott, to whom we owe that precious hymn —

“Just as I am — without one
But that thy blood was shed for me
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee —
O Lamb of God, I come.”

It was a blessed thing for her that she was at that party, and that the servant of God from Geneva should have been there, and should have spoken to her so faithfully. Oh for many a repetition of the story “of one Simon a Cyrenian,” coming, not with the intent to bear the cross, but with quite another mind, and yet being enlisted in the cross-bearing army of the Lord Jesus!>> [Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 31, Year 1885, page NO. 1853]

Here is another brief account of how the author, Charlotte Elliott, became a Christian:

>>Cesar Malan (1787-1864) urged Charlotte Elliott to come "just as you are." The Swiss evangelist and hymn writer always liked to speak a word for Jesus. One day, while visiting England, he spoke to a young women at his table, saying that he hoped she was a Christian. Charlotte Elliott bristled. She would rather not discuss that question, she said. Malan apologized if he had given offense. For Charlotte, however, Malan's witness was a turning point. She could not get his suggestion out of her head.

Three weeks later, she met Malan again and told him that ever since he had spoken to her, she had been trying to find Jesus her Savior. How could she come to Him, she wondered. "You have nothing of merit to bring to God. You must come just as you are," replied the minister. Rejoicing, Charlotte did. >> http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/DAILYF/2003/09/daily-09-22-2003.shtml

The following biographical information on Charlotte Elliott is from the website http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/e/l/elliott_c.htm

Born: March 18, 1789, Clapham, Surrey, England. Died: September 22, 1871, Brighton, East Sussex, England.Buried: St. Andrew’s Church, Hove, Sussex, England. Elliott became an invalid around age 30, and remained so for the rest of her life. About her physical condition, Elliott wrote: My Heavenly Father knows, and He alone, what it is, day after day, and hour after hour, to fight against bodily feelings of almost overpowering weakness and languor and exhaustion, to resolve, as He enables me to do, not to yield to the slothfulness, the depression, the irritability, such as a body causes me to long to indulge, but to rise every morning determined on taking this for my motto, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Elliott lived in Brighton, England, and for some 40 years, had an ongoing “spiritual” correspondence with Henri A. C. Malan. She wrote about 150 hymns.

C. H. SPURGEON, on the hymn, "Just As I Am":

>>It is unspeakably precious in hours of discouragement, then, to fly straight away to Jesus, with the contrite cry of—

"Just as I am—without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd'st me come to thee.
O Lamb of God, I come."

I have heard of persons boasting that they had outgrown that hymn, but I know I never shall. I must be content still to come to Jesus with no qualification for mercy except that which my sin and misery may give me in the eyes of his free grace. It is a thousand mercies that, although clouds may obscure other evidences, they cannot prevent our coming to the great propitiation, and casting ourselves upon its cleansing power.>>--Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 13, Year 1867, sermon #755, "Alive or Dead -- Which?" pages 332, 333.

In addition to the foregoing comment from Spurgeon, here is what is said in the Preface of Spurgeon's OUR OWN HYMNBOOK, the hymnal compiled by Spurgeon for use at the Tabernacle, page iv:

>>3. Hymns suitable for revivals, prayer-meetings, and earnest addresses to sinners, are given in larger numbers and greater variety than in any other selection known to the editor, and several popular verses whose poetic merit had not commended them to previous compilers, have been adopted in deference to the Great Spirit who has so frequently blessed the use of them both to saints and sinners.>> [Our Own Hymnbook has recently been reprinted by Pilgrim in Large Print].
Spurgeon's OUR OWN HYMNBOOK has the hymn, "Just As I Am," at No. 546 under the category or heading of, "The Gospel Received by Faith." So Spurgeon associated "Just As I Am" with the reception of the Gospel by faith.

In the March 1865 issue of The Sword and the Trowel, Spurgeon's magazine, page 128, there is a description of a large meeting of six to seven thousand in the congregation, during a period of intense, ongoing revival, with many being converted to Christ, and a fervent spirit abounding in the church. The report says:

>>Between six and seven thousand persons assembled . . . Mr. Spurgeon, after a few words of gratitude and joy for the return of such an occasion, gave out some verses of the 100th Psalm, that all might join in a song of praise. He then suggested that their next duty was to give thanks for the blessing which had attended the former meeting of the same kind, the effect of which, upon his own people, was that ninety-three [93] had sat down on the previous evening, for the first time at the table of the Lord. Mr. Marshall and Mr. Barnard presented the incense of praise. Mr. Spurgeon then gave out the hymn, commencing with --
"Just as I am, Without one plea."

This was a prelude to confession of sin, which, after a silent confession of two or three minutes of each for himself, was offered in the name of all by Mr. Clark. . . .Now came the direct reference to the unsaved. This was introduced by a most earnest and awakening address by Mr. Spurgeon, and was responded to in prayer by Mr. Stott and Mr. Varley. A hymn followed, commencing thus,
"Once a sinner near despair."

Mr. Teal and Mr. Burton then prayed, and Mr. Spurgeon closed with prayer. INQUIRERS were then encouraged to retire to the lecture hall, where ministers and elders would be glad to converse with them; and MANY RESPONDED TO THE INVITATION.

This was one of the most sober, the most impressive, and, we should judge, the most effective meetings we have ever witnessed. /p>

Here it is seen that during a period of great revival, with many being converted, "Just As I Am" was chosen by Spurgeon on this occasion as part of the service. Spurgeon was always concerned that he would select the proper hymns, as he indicates in the following comment:

>>I have constantly made it my prayer that I might be guided by the Spirit even in the smallest and least important parts of the service; for you cannot tell but that the salvation of a soul may depend upon the reading of a hymn, or upon the selection of a chapter. Two persons have joined our church and made a profession of being converted simply through my reading a hymn -- “Jesus, lover of my soul.”

They did not remember anything else in the hymn, but those words made such a deep impression upon their mind, that they could not help repeating them for days afterwards, and then the thought arose, “Do I love Jesus?” And then they considered what strange ingratitude it was that he should be the lover of their souls, and yet they should not love him. Now I believe the Holy Spirit led me to read that hymn.<< [From New Park Street Pulpit, Volume 4, Year 1858, sermon #201, page 293.] Available on the Internet at Spurgeon Archive http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0201.htm and Spurgeon Gems http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols4-6/chs201.pdf

C. H. Spurgeon exhorted:
>>Salvation? Why thousands do not know what you mean by the term, and here, in this century of light and advancement as we boastfully call it, gross darkness covers the minds of a large proportion of our countrymen!Brethren, the time has not come for you to cease distributing the most plain tracts. The time has not arrived for you to be silent at the street corners even upon the first principles of the faith. You must still proclaim Atonement by the sacrifice of Christ, and the simple doctrine of Justification by Faith. Possibly there may come an age when it will be wise to expatiate mainly upon the deep things of God, but for this present distress we may wisely give our whole strength to telling out the foundation fact—that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Our sermons must repeat times out of number the story of the Cross. The hymns most commonly sung should be of the same order as—“Rock of ages, cleft for me.” “Jesus, lover of my Soul.” “Come, you sinners, poor and wretched.” and “Just as I am, without one plea.”

We have even need of such simple ditties as—“I do believe, I will believe, that Jesus died for me.” For upon that point ignorance and unbelief still cloud the mass of the people among whom we dwell. Let not the people be destroyed for lack of knowledge! Let none go down to Hell because they know not of a Savior. Let me say here that even with those who have heard the Gospel well preached, this ignorance may still remain—as it did in my own case.

I believe if I had known that all I had to do was to look to Christ and I should live. If I had really understood that there was nothing for me to be, nor feel, nor do—but I had only to rest in a finished work and take from God’s mercy that which Christ had completed—I think if I had known that Truth of God, I should have found peace with God much earlier. But I did not understand the Gospel, and therefore remained in distress of mind. Do, then, tell everybody about Jesus! Tell them of the Son of God made flesh! Tell them about Substitution! Speak the word plainly. Tell them—“He bore that we might never bear His Father’s righteous ire.”

Assure them that whoever believes in Him is not condemned, and that to believe is to trust. Open up that word, for even plain and simple words get to be technical and men dream that there is some other meaning in them than that which theyordinarily have. You cannot put the Gospel too plainly, but anyway, put it before them, and then roll away this stone from the mouth of the sepulcher.<< http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols16-18/chs1052.pdf

>>Remember that hymn which ought to be sung every Sunday in our assemblies—“Just as I am—and waiting not, To rid my soul of one dark blot, To You, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come.”

Every verse begins with, “Just as I am,” and so must your prayers, your faith, your hope begin. The whole hymn commences, “Just as I am,” and so must your Christian life be started.<< http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols22-24/chs1283.pdf

>>Brethren, whether you will do so or not, I flee to the cross again. In the Rock of Ages I again hide myself. Who among us dares to come forth from that divine shelter? “Jesus, lover of our soul, let us to thy bosom by.” Let all of us sing as though it were for the first time —

“Just as I am — without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.”

Dear friends, it is due to God, it is due to Christ, it is due to the gospel, that we should every day believe with like simplicity of undivided trust. Keep on believing in Christ, “to whom coming as unto a living stone.” We are to live by faith.<< [Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 30, Year 1884, page 671].

It is no marvel that Charlotte Elliott's inspiring and all-time favorite invitation hymn, "Just As I Am," was loved and used by Spurgeon at the Tabernacle where evangelism of the lost was the first priority of interest and endeavor. Of course, this hymn may not be appreciated by some of our very "rigid", anti-public invitation brethren who apparently are somewhat ambivalent about its use, but the fact is, this hymn has been greatly influential, its message so convicting and inviting, and so blessed of the Spirit of God during times of public invitations when those who have heard the Gospel are urged to trust Christ and be saved.

It is very likely that even many of those brethren who are like unto those whom Spurgeon once described as "doctrinal brethren" (Vol. 8, #465, page 460) may have professed faith in Christ during invitations where "Just As I Am" was used! That was of course before they apparently became so crystallized in "rigid doctrine" and "zeal for orthodoxy" that they lost some of their appreciation for the simple elements of the Gospel of Christ expressed in "Just As I Am."

White Lightnin' Again on 1 John 5:1

2010-03-01T16:14:00.016-05:00

JAMES WHITE STILL BREWING THE
WHITE LIGHTNIN' ON 1 JOHN 5:1

Ever notice how some fellows get "hung up" on certain verses and try to make them say what they were never intended to say? Alexander Campbell and the Campbellites did that on verses like Acts 2:28, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, and a few others they use for insisting on their view about baptism.

James White seems to have the same penchant on 1 John 5:1. We have answered James "brewings" before, and since he is trying to mix the Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinist concoction of "born again before faith" in that verse again, I'll just repeat what we said on this in the past.

[Note: After posting this item, James has this comment on his website of March 2, 2010: "There seems to be some very strong resistance to any concept of God being the one who raises dead sinners to life."

James does what he has frequently done: misrepresents the issue and adds to the record of Scripture. We offer "very strong resistance" to this clear case of eisegesis. The real issue is this -- does God raise dead sinners to life apart from the attending power of the Word of God in the raising?

Jesus raised Lazarus by the power of His Word. James has Lazarus raised to life beforehand. He says, "Jesus changed Lazarus' condition first . . . What was once dead is now alive, and can now hear the voice of his beloved Lord, 'Come forth.'" (The Potter's Freedom, Calvary Press 2000 edition).

This eisegesis means that the "voice" [Word] of Christ was not the instrumental means of the raising of Lazarus, and is a distortion of the Scripture and the Miracle. This is the theory of the new birth which we call HYBRID Calvinism and is a departure from creedal Calvinism on Effectual Calling.

See this link for Spurgeon, Gill, and Pink in contrast to James White. It is obvious from these brief quotes from Spurgeon, Gill, and Pink that James White holds a view on Lazarus which is in direct contrast to that of these Calvinists.

It seems that James' sole purpose in referring to Lazarus is an effort to support his "logical" apparatus to sustain his Pelagian-like view that "command implies ability," and that this necessitates his theory on the new birth that "life precedes faith." He must have Lazarus alive before he hears the Word of Christ, for this is the Pedobaptist Reformed "ordo pollutus" view of the new birth which James is determined to prove. ]

DOES 1 JOHN 5:1 TEACH AN "ORDER" TO THE NEW BIRTH, OR REGENERATION?

It is argued by Hybrid Calvinist James White in his books that I John 5:1 teaches that there is "pre-faith" New Birth, or Regeneration, to the effect that the new birth precedes believing.

On the other side are some who contend for the idea that faith precedes the new birth. Both these views, we believe, are in conflict with our orthodox Confessions of Faith and of course with what we understand is taught in Scripture.

We understand that Faith and the New Birth are SIMULTANEOUS and cannot be separated, for the New Birth is the efficient work of the Spirit's use of the Word in creating faith. If there is no faith, there is no new birth.

First John 5:1 reads: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him."

The most evident truth of this verse is that faith and the New Birth are COEXISTENT, where there is one there is the other.

They are somewhat like life itself: where there is life, there is breath; and where there is breath, there is life. Since the person who believes in Christ is born of God, or retrospectively has been born of God, then conversely the person who does not believe is not and has not been born of God.

The believer is born of God.
The unbeliever is not born of God.
There is no "middle ground," no "in-between" state, no "half-dead, half-alive" condition, so far as this passage is concerned.

Believing is simply presented here as the "living proof" or evidence that one is, or has been, born of God. Conversely, no faith in Christ equals no new birth. It is just as simple as that.

The verse does not deal at all with an alleged "sequence" or "order" of actions, or "ordo salutis" [i. e. "ordo pollutus"] as is advocated by James White [and some others of the Reformed camp who follow Francis Turretin, the Pedobaptist of the 17th century who, according to W. G. T. Shedd, introduced this notion].

That is not even the obvious intention of the writer, John, for he is not trying to convince his readers about what some zealous pedobaptist analysts call the "ordo salutis," a device conceived to allegedly present the "order" of the elements involved in the New Birth.

John, of all the New Testament writers, emphasizes the important necessity of faith in regard to salvation (John 20:31), that one who believes has life and the one who does not believe does not have life. The instant of faith is the same instant of life.

John does not specifically deal in this verse (5:1) with the matter of the "means," or "how" this faith comes about, or is experienced. From other passages, however, we know that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Faith presupposes an object of faith, and that is presented thru the Word of God.

We also know that faith not only comes by hearing the Word of God, but that Word is made effectual by the accompanying efficient "power" of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12, 13;1 Thessalonians 1:5; John 6:45, 63). This is why and how faith is created, by the Word and the Spirit, and when faith is actually produced or born in a person then that person has experienced the New Birth, or regeneration. Until that faith in Christ is existent, the New Birth has not taken place -- -- otherwise you have a regenerated unbeliever. Faith is not some type of "gift" that has no object, or that comes via an alleged "direct operation" of the Spirit before and apart from the accompaniment of the means necessary to create faith. Whatever preliminary, preparatory, or prevenient work the Holy Spirit may do does not constitute the New Birth.

John does not say, "Whoever is convicted is born of God," or "whosoever has been enlightened has been born of God," or "whosoever is concerned is born of God," or "whosoever is sensible of his sins is born of God" -- no, he simply says "whosoever believes is born of God." One is not born until faith is born in him by God's Word and power.

James White follows Pedobaptists and tries to justify his faulty interpretation by comparing 1 John 5:1 to 1 John 2:29 where John says that "every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." But James fails to note the fact that the very first act of righteousness that a person does is to believe in Christ. "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 3:22).

This is what Paul told the jailer to do in Acts 16:31. This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He hath sent (John 6:29). The very first commandment is summed up as love for God, and faith incorporates that love, for "faith worketh by love" (Galatians 5:6). Love is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), and love has as its object the Lord Jesus, and the one who loves Christ is born of God (1 John 4:7). How could one be "born again" and not have love for and faith in Christ created in him by the power of the Word of God and Holy Spirit?

The idea that James White tries to prove is that in the New Birth there is an order whereby one who HAS NOT YET BELIEVED "has been born of God," and then after being supposedly born of God he is thereby given "ability" to perform the act of faith in Christ. He claims that "birth precedes . . . faith" (The Potter's Freedom, page 288).

What kind of "new birth" is it that lacks love for Christ and faith in Christ? We are nowhere taught in Scripture that such a birth devoid of love and faith precedes faith. Actually, may we not say that faith itself has a "birth," being born by the Word and power of the Holy Spirit?

DR. CARROLL'S IMPECCABLE SYLLOGISM

B. H. Carroll, Founder of Southwestern Baptist Thelogical Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas, stated:

(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).

C. H. SPURGEON'S IMMACULATE SYLLOGISM:

Now, here is Spurgeon's Immaculate Syllogism, which is based on 1 John 5:4. This is on page 142 of Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 17, 1971, Sermon #979, "Faith and Regeneration."

1. "Whatsoever is BORN OF GOD overcometh the world."

2. But FAITH overcomes the world.

3. Therefore, the man who has FAITH is REGENERATE.

NOTE:
The Hybrid Calvinist Pedobaptist who has been so influential upon the "Flounders," Iain Murray, in one of his latest books, admits that Spurgeon taught that regeneration and faith are "SIMULTANEOUS," and that "faith 'occurs at the same time as the new birth" (The Old Evangelicism, pages 63, 65).

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The Down Grade Controversy

2010-02-10T15:52:00.010-05:00

"DOWN GRADE CONTROVERSY" BOOK PRESENTS
SPURGEON'S OWN POINT-OF-VIEW [02/10--2010]

No matter what or who you read, you will probably get C. H. Spurgeon's point-of-view only by consulting the original materials. Some authors seem to have missed some of the comments by Spurgeon, and in fact, one author told me he did not have access to the original materials, and as a result he was misled in some of his material due to relying on secondary sources.

When Iain Murray first published his book entitled, THE FORGOTTEN SPURGEON, in 1966, I was surprised to find Murray to some degree aligning himself with some of Spurgeon's own contemporary critics who falsely alleged that Spurgeon was making "Calvinism" an issue in the Down Grade Controversy. (I pointed out Murray's strange presentation in a review published in The Christian Pilgrim, May 1967, page 13).

Spurgeon himself denounced this allegation more than once. He wrote:

"We care far more for the central evangelical truths than we do for Calvinism as a system," -- and --

"The present struggle is not a debate upon the question of Calvinism or Arminianism, but of the truth of God versus the inventions of men. All who believe the gospel should unite against that 'modern thought' which is its deadly enemy" (The Sword & The Trowel magazine, April 1887, pages 195, 196) -- and --

"Certain antagonists have tried to represent the Down Grade controversy as a revival of the old feud between Calvinists and Arminians. It is nothing of the kind. Many evangelical Arminians are as earnestly on our side as men can be." (S&T, December 1887, page 642).

[NOTE: Since first emailing and posting this article on February 10, I have received the following response from a Pastor in Springfield, Missouri on February 17, 2010]:
>>
I only have one letter on the Down Grade and it is dated Feb. 17, 1888 and is addressed to: "Dear & Venerable Friend," -- of whom I do not know who that friend was, but it bears out what you had in your last e-mail in which you show where Iain Murray missed it. The letter I have has the following in it:

"...... They try to make out that I fight for Calvinism. Indeed I do not deny my peculiar doctrines, but I have no war with an Evangelical Arminian nor indeed is this the question at all. There is an underlying gospel, common to all true churches, & this is assailed by Evolutionists, Post-mortem Salvationists, Restorationists & the whole school of the New Theology - which is no theology at all. Unbelief is in the very air, & all churches will yet have to deal with it though I believe yours to be leastof all affected by it........"

I am not sure what Spurgeon meant by 'Post-mortem Salvationists' and even 'Restorationists' since in our country the 'Restorationists' would probably have reference to the Campbellites. Please send the two copies of the Down Grade book with invoice.
>>
[End of email from the Missouri Pastor].

The very first article on the Down Grade cited the Pedobaptist (Baby Sprinklers) Presbyterians (Calvinists) as the "first" to start on the down grade. It appears that Spurgeon traced the "root of the matter" in the Down Grade to the practice of the Pedobaptists who baptized babies and added them to the church as "regenerate" members. This conclusion would not appeal to Iain Murray since he is an advocate of of the Pedobaptist system.

[Note: Dr. R. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, has a review of the continued downgradism of the Presbyterians. See this link: Vanishing Christianity — A Lesson from the Presbyterians. Dr. Mohler summarizes the state of this Pedobaptist body: "This is a church (Presbyterian Church U.S.A.) that has lost its confidence in the Gospel in terms of the clear biblical claim that salvation comes only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." While Dr. Mohler has stated the case very well, he does not discuss what Spurgeon pointed out as the root of Presbyterian downgradism -- namely, pedobaptist "infantology.")

In The Sword and The Trowel magazine for March 1887, pages 123 and 126, we read:

>>The Presbyterians [i. e. "Calvinists"] were the first to get on the down line. . . . The principal cause of the quicker descent on "the down grade" among the Presbyterians than among other Nonconformists, may be traced, not so much to their more scholarly ministry, nor altogether to their renunciation of Puritan habits, but to their rule of admitting to the privileges of Church membership. Of course their children received the rite of baptism, according to their views of baptism, in infancy. They were thereby received — so the ministers taught, and so the people believed — into covenant with God, and had a right to the Lord's table, without any other qualification than a moral life.
>>

Spurgeon had spoken against Pedobaptism (Baby Sprinkling) for years before the Down Grade arrived in its fullness. He did not advocate the adding of unregenerate infants to the church roll upon the Pedobaptist assumption that the infants born of believers are "covenant children" and experience "regeneration" early in life, perhaps even before they are actually born into the world.

For example, Pedobaptist (Presbyterian) R. C. Sproul, a popular current minister, has an item on the web in which he says, "It is possible that God gave me new life within the womb, and over time I came into a deeper understanding of the faith He gave me."
http://www.ligonier.org/blog/how-and-when-did-you-get-saved/

Spurgeon denounced such an idea that one is possibly born again prior to birth. He said:

>>
Where did the errors of the church of Rome come from? Were they all born in a day? No, they came by slow degrees. It happened thus:—I will trace but one error, against which as a denomination we always bear our protest, and I only take that as a specimen of the whole.

Among the early Christians, it was the practice to baptize those who believed in Christ Jesus, by immersing them in the water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Well, the first wrong doctrine that started up, was the idea that perhaps there was some efficacy in the water.

Next it followed that when a man was dying who had never been baptized he would perhaps profess faith in Christ, and ask that he might be baptized; but as he was dying they could not lift him from his bed, they therefore adopted sprinkling as being an easier method by which they might satisfy the conscience by the application of water.

That done, there was but a step to the taking of little children into the church—children, unconscious infants, who were received as being members of Christ's body; and thus infant sprinkling was adopted.

The error came in by slow degrees—not all at once. It would have been too glaring for the church to receive, if it had shown its head at one time with all its horns upon it. But it entered slowly and gradually, till it came to be inducted into the church.

I do not know, an error which causes the damnation of more souls than that at the present-time. There are thousands of people who firmly believe that they shall go to heaven because they were sprinkled in infancy, have been confirmed, and have taken the Sacrament. Sacramental efficacy and baptismal regeneration, all spring from the first error of infant baptism.

Had they kept to the Scripture, had the church always required faith before baptism, that error could not have sprung up. It must have died before the light of the truth, it could not have breathed, it could not have had a foothold in the Christian church.But one error must lead to another—you never need doubt that. If you tamper with one truth of Scripture, he that tempts you to meddle with one, will tempt you to tamper with another, and there will be no end to it, till, at last, you will want a new Bible, a new Testament, and a new God. There is no telling where you will end when you have begun.>> -- New Park Street Pulpit, Sermon #307, page 168.

SPURGEON again:
>>
Some imagine that faith comes by hereditary descent, and they act upon the supposition. Hence, in certain churches, birthright membership is thought to be a proper practice, and the child of a Christian is thought to be a Christian.

In some other churches, though the theory would not be stated in so many words, yet it is practically accepted, and children of pious parents are regarded as scarcely needing conversion. The text is forgotten which saith that the heirs of salvation are born, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God."

The typical covenant secured outward privileges to the children born after the flesh, but under the covenant of grace the blessing is secured to the spiritual and not to the natural seed. "He who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise." (Galatians 4:23). That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and nothing more: the new-born nature is not transmissible from father to son like a natural temperament or a cast of countenance.

I know the answer will be that "the promise is to us and to our children," but it will be well for the objector to reply to himself by completing the quotation—"even to as many as the Lord your God shall call."

The fact is, that nothing spiritual is inherited by carnal generation. Our children, even if we are far advanced in grace, will still be "shapen in iniquity." No matter how high the sainthood of the professing Christian, his child (when capable of understanding) must for himself become a personal believer in Jesus.

It appears to be thought possible to infuse grace by sacraments. There are persons yet alive who teach that a babe may be regenerated by certain aqueous processes, and be thereby placed in "a state of salvation." But is not faith a perpetual concomitant of regeneration? and what is that regeneration worth which leaves a person an unbeliever, and, consequently, "condemned already, because he hath not believed on the Son of God?"

Rest assured, that as faith does not come by descent, neither can it be produced by any rite which recognizes that descent: it comes in one way, and in one way only in every case, and that is, by the hearing of the word. To every person, whoever he may be, though nursed in the bosom of the church, and introduced to that church by the most solemn ritual, we are bound to say, you must hear as well as others, and you must believe as the result of that hearing as well as others, or else you will remain short of saving grace.

Faith is not a mystery juggled into us by the postures, genuflexions, and mumblings of priests. We have heard a great deal about sacramental efficacy, but I think a man must have extraordinary hardihood who would say that either baptism, or the so-called Eucharist, are the sure creators of faith; yet see I not what saving service these forms can render to unbelieving men if they leave them in an unbelieving condition, and, consequently, in a state of condemnation.

Seeing that without faith it is impossible to please God, the grace supposed to be conveyed by the mere participation in sacraments is of small value, it cannot give the cardinal requisite for acceptance before God. Faith cannot be washed into us by immersion, nor sprinkled upon us in christening; it is not to be poured into us from a chalice, nor generated in us by a consecrated piece of bread. There is no magic about it; it comes by hearing the word of God, and by that way only. >> -- Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon #1031, page 39.

THE DOWN GRADE BOOK

We expect delivery of the book on the Down Grade Controversy this month (February, 2010). It will sell fo $8.99 plus $3 for shipping. Order from:

Pilgrim Publications, Box 66, Pasadena, TX 77501
Phone: (713) 477-4261. Fax: (713) 477-7561
Credit Card Orders accepted by phone, mail, or fax.

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pilgrimpub@aol.com. Do not use the combox.

The Fall of Jericho

2010-01-02T11:56:00.002-05:00

A POEM BY C. H. SPURGEON [1834-1892]
The Fall of Jericho

Note: January 31 marks the Anniversary of C. H. Spurgeon's home-going in 1892. As a token in memory of that event, we are reprinting one of Spurgeon's most dramatic poems, "The Fall of Jericho."

The day is come, the seventh morn
Is usher'd in with blast of horn,
Tremble, ye tow'rs of giant height,
This is the day of Israel's might.
Six days ye mock'd the silent band,
This hour their shout shall shake your land.
Old Jordan's floods shall hear the sound.
Yon circling hills with fear shall bound.

Thou palm-tree'd city, at thy gates,
Death in grim form this moment waits;
See, hurrying on the howling blast,
That dreaded hour, thy last, thy last.

Lo at the leader's well-known sign
The tribes their mighty voices join,
With thund'ring noise the heavens are rent,
Down falls the crumbling battlement;
Straight to the prey each soldier goes,
The sword devours his helpless foes.
Now impious! On your idols call;
Prostrate at Baal's altar fall.
In vain your rampart and your pride
Which Jehovah's pow'r defied.

Now Israel, spare not, strike the blade
In heart of man, and breast of maid;
Spare not the old, nor young, nor gay,
Spare not, for justice bids you slay.

Who shall describe that dreadful cry,
These ears shall hear it till they die.
Pale terror shrieks her hideous note,
War bellows from his brazen throat.
Death tears his prey with many a groan,
Nor earth itself restrains a moan.

Ho! Vultures to the banquet haste,
Here ye may feast, and glut your taste;
Ho! Monsters of the gloomy wood,
Here cool your tongues in seas of blood.

But no; the flames demand the whole,
In blazing sheets they upward roll;
They fire the heavens, and cast their light
Where Gibeon pales with sad affright;
A lurid glare o'er earth is cast,
The nations stand with dread, aghast.
The shepherd on the distant plain
Thinks of old Sodom's fiery rain;
He flies a sheltering hill to find,
Nor casts one lingering look behind.

The magian* scans his mystic lore,
Foretells the curse on Egypt's shore;
The Arab checks his frighted horse,
Bends his wild knee, and turns his course.
E'en seas remote behold the glare
And hardy sailors raise their prayer.

Now in dim smoke the flames expire
That lit the city's fun'ral fire,
The glowing embers cease to burn:
Haste, patriot, fill the golden urn!
In crystal tears her dust embalm.
In distant lands, in strife or calm,
Still press the relic to thy heart.
And in the rapture lose the smart!

It must not be; her sons are dead,
They with their mother burned or bled
Not one survives: the vip'rish race
Have perish'd with their lodging-place.
No more lascivious maidens dance,
No youths with lustful step advance,
No drunkard's bowl, no rite unclean,
No idol mysteries are seen.
A warrior stands in martial state,
And thus proclaims her changeless fate.
"Accursed city, blot her name
From mind of man, from lip of fame,
Curs'd be the man, and curs'd his race,
Who dares his house on thee to place;
He founds it on his firstborn's tomb,
And crowns it with the brother's doom."

Thus God rewards the haughty foe,
Great in their sin and overthrow.
He ever reigns immortal King;
With Israel's song the mountains ring.

Yet 'mid the justice dread severe,
Where pity sheds no silv'ry tear,
A gleam of golden mercy strays,
And lights the scene with pleasing rays.

One house escapes, by faith secure,
The scarlet thread a token sure,
Rahab, whose seed in future time
Should bear the virgin's Son sublime.

Thus when the thund'rer grasps his arms,
And fills our earth with just alarms,
His hand still shields the chosen race,
And 'midst his wrath remembers grace.

The Sword and the Trowel, 1865, page 44.

Spurgeon's 59th Volume on Internet

2009-12-19T12:13:00.005-05:00

59TH VOLUME OF METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE
PULPIT ON THE INTERNET [12/18--2009]

From Brother Emmett O'Donnell:

December 17, 2009

Dear Ones,

Rejoice and praise God with me that in His mercy He has allowed me to complete 59 volumes of Brother Spurgeon's sermons. I would also ask you to pray that He will raise up someone to correct all the errors in this work.

Some of you have been kind enough over the years to point out errors and I have corrected them, but every time I read a sermon I have completed, I find more mistakes.

I pray for you often and covet your prayers. Ann and I wish you a blessed Christmas season and a wonderful and happy New Year.

Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God the Father!
Not Mary. Not Moses. Not Mohammed.

JESUS CHRIST is the only way. (John 14:6).

Brother Emmett O'Donnell
emmettod@ktc.com
Over 3,350 free C.H. Spurgeon sermons in today's language.

http://www.spurgeongems.org/

"Intercession is an instinct of the renewed heart. When the Believer findsthat he is safe, he must pray for his fellow men." - CHS-Volume 59, Sermon#3377

****************************************************************************Permission Permission granted to copy and use this article.
Pilgrim Website: http://www.pilgrimpublications.com/homepage.htm

By request, names are added to Bob L. Ross Email List, or removed.
pilgrimpub@aol.com

Publishers of C. H. Spurgeon's Sermons & Other Works
Send your email address or a snail-mail address for a Pilgrim Price List.

Pilgrim Publications, Box 66, Pasadena, TX 77501
Phone: (713) 477-4261. Fax: (713) 477-7561

Stephen Garrett Reports on Debate

2009-11-10T15:56:00.004-05:00

DEBATE CONCLUDED

By Stephen Garrett

My debate with John Gentry has concluded. I am filled with joy over the entire trip to Louisville and the visit to the campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The weather was perfect and the campus was picturesque. It was a privilege to stand on ground where such able men as J. P. Boyce once stood. It was "holy ground."I got to go to the J. P. Boyce library and do a little research. I hated I did not have time to spend an entire day or two there. Perhaps another debate will be arranged at the seminary and I can do my historical research.I was blessed to have my sister and father to come down from Ohio. I have not had the opportunity of seeing either since my oldest sister passed away four years ago.

I hope to do a review of the debate soon. Also, I hope that John Gentry will be making the audio of the debate available on the internet soon, as he did our recent debate on water baptism. I will let all know as soon as John informs me that he has put it on his web page. I will also be making videos of the debate available soon.

Thanks to all who prayed for this discussion.

NOTE: The debate is being published for reading on Stephen's website:

BaptistGadfly

Debate at Louisville Seminary

2009-10-14T13:10:00.002-04:00

STEPHEN GARRETT ANNOUNCES DEBATE
TO BE HELD ON SBTS CAMPUS, LOUISVILLE

Dates:
Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5-6, 2009Time: 7.00pm (EST)

Location:
Alumni Memorial Chapel, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2825 Lexington Rd., Louisville, KY 40280

Propositions:
The Scriptures teach that a child of God, one saved by the blood of Christ, can so sin as to be eternally lost in hell.

Affirm: John R. Gentry (church of Christ)
Deny: Stephen Garrett (Baptist)

The Scriptures teach that a child of God, one saved by the blood of Christ, cannot so sin as to be eternally lost in hell.

Affirm: Stephen Garrett (Baptist)
Deny: John R. Gentry (church of Christ)

I hope all who are in the Louisville area and hear of the debate will be led to attend. Pray for good to come from open discussion.

Stephen
BaptistGadfly

Wade Burleson's Burlesque

2009-10-02T15:08:00.002-04:00

WADE BURLESON REFUTED ABOUT
SPURGEON AND THE "DOWN GRADE"

Pastor Wade Burleson of Enid, Oklahoma continues to publicly display his various and several inadequacies in his writings. His latest writings are a veritable burlesque of C. H. Spurgeon on The Down Grade Controversy.

I have published two rebuttals of Burleson on the Reformed Flyswatter blog at the following link: http://reformedflyswatter.blogspot.com/

Please go there for the two articles.
-- Bob L. Ross, pilgrimpub@aol.com

Revivals & Pedobaptists

2009-09-08T12:56:00.004-04:00

REVIVALS OF THE PAST IN RELATION
TO PEDO (BABY) REGENERATION IDEA

Many of you may recall that we have taken note of the fact that many of the "revivals," whether of the Calvinist or Arminian variety, have been in consequence of awakenings among Pedobaptist churches to the pedo (baby)-regeneration deception.

When one considers who the persons were in these historic revivals who made professions of salvation, it is obvious that they primarily were people who had been baptized and added to the church rolls in early infancy, presumably as a "sign and seal" of regeneration in infancy.

The Wesleyan revival in England had to do primarily with pedobaptist members who had been baptized as infants in the Church of England (Episcopalian or Anglican).

The Great Awakening in America in the 18th century was also primarily among those who practiced infant baptism. Both Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were from pedobaptist backgrounds.

The heralded Cane Ridge Revival in the early 1800's in central Kentucky was primarily among the Presbyterians, lead by Presbyterian ministers such as Barton W. Stone, one of the later leaders of the Campbellite "Christian Church."

The same was true of the revivals under Charles G. Finney in America and D. L. Moody in England and Scotland. Finney directed his message primarily to the Presbyterians in the Eastern states such as New York and Massachusetts and many of them professed faith under Finney's preaching.

Moody's preaching in Great Britain had such a harvest among pedobaptists in Scotland that a prominent Presbyerian minister, John Kennedy, said, "I look on my Church, in a spasmodic state, subject to convulsions, which only indicate that her life is departing, the result of revivals got up by men."

Kennedy said hundreds of the Scotland church's pedo ministers were cooperating with Moody in the meetings.

These are just some of the "revivals" that developed as a result of pedobaptist people and churches being awakened to the deception about their supposed "regeneration" in infancy. From time to time, in certain areas, the deceived pedos began to realize they were not really born again in infancy, and as a result many were led to Christ, and revival broke out.

COMMENTS: All comments to be posted on the Flyswatter must be sent to pilgrimpub@aol.com

The Combox on this blog is not available at this time.

Bob L. Ross vs. David Brown Debate

2009-08-27T11:21:00.005-04:00

ROSS VS. BROWN DEBATE ON THE
WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

By Larry Wessels

Hello Everyone,

Greetings in Christ. We have just recently uploaded one of my favorite debates on Yahoo Video (put "Larry Wessels" in the Yahoo Video search box if you want to see the over 180 videos we have up so far). This debate will show the viewer how nonborn again religionists argue against spiritually regenerated Christians. This debate is a great example of how men who practice "Christian" religion in their mind yet have never been supernaturally "born again" by the spirit of God (John 3:3-8, Titus 3:5-8) will attack those who claim a supernatural indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

It is the age old battle that started with Cain & Abel between those who are spiritually regenerated by God & those who are not. Since nonborn again religionists have never experienced the supernatural touch of the Holy Spirit they naturally deny that anyone else has had the experience. This is why the original founders of Campbellism replaced the work of the Holy Spirit with water baptism or in some cases a doctrine that says being "born again" happens "after" you rise from the dead. With this basis then Campbellites concentrate on "works righteousness" for salvation before a Holy God.

The links to this fascinating debate follow the description below:

Of the many debates that Bob L. Ross of Pilgrim Publications has participated in over the decades this is the favorite of Larry Wessels of Christian Answers of Austin, Texas/Christian Debater (see websites BibleQuery.org, HistoryCart.com & MuslimHope.com). Here we find Bob Ross in theological combat with yet another "Campbellite" preacher named David Brown, at that time Director of the Southwest School of Bible Studies located at the Southwest Church of Christ in Austin, Texas. The "Church of Christ," "The Christian Church," "Disciples of Christ," & others come out of a early 19th century "Restoration Movement" founded by four primary men named Alexander & Thomas Campbell, Barton W. Stone & Walter Scott. These men claimed that "the Holy Spirit operates only through the word of God" & there is no indwelling of the Spirit in believers or a direct operation of the Spirit thus reinterpreting John 3:3-8 to baptism or something that happens in the resurrection.

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #1: Introduction http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5619063/14745250

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #2: Calvinism
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5619748/14746944

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #3: Word Only?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5620578/14749040

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #4: Reason & Logic
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5626457/14762389

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #5: "Restorers" Baptized?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5642239/14798855

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #6: Power of the Spirit
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5654802/14828116

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #7: "Arrow" of Spirit?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5661130/14842372

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #8: Mr. Holy Spirit Man
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5664074/14849095

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #9: Carnal versus Spiritual
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5665938/14853510

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #10: Denial of Power
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5667461/14857023

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #11: 1 Peter 1:23?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5671353/14866089

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #12: Spiritual Rebirth
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5671496/14866377

Is the Holy Spirit Limited to Just the Bible Only? Debate #13: Man' Will Power
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5677705/14880465

May the Lord bless you & yours,

Larry Wessels
Director, Christian Answers of Austin, TX / Christian Debater
http://www.biblequery.org/, http://www.historycart.com/, http://www.muslimhope.com/
1 Peter 3:15

B. H. Carroll on Regeneration

2009-08-21T14:21:00.008-04:00

DR. B. H. CARROLL --
NOT A HYBRID CALVINIST

From time to time, the occasion arises which calls for reminding Southern Baptists of the view held by Dr. B. H. Carroll on the New Birth -- a view for which we contend in contrast to the Reformed Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinist view.

The late Dr. B. H. Carroll (1843-1914), Founder of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at Fort Worth, Texas, would be disappointed in the teaching of some of the modem graduates of the Seminary who have embraced the Reformed Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinist notion that "regeneration precedes faith" or that a sinner is "born again before believing in Christ."

Dr. Carroll was obviously aware of this theory and he did a very good job of refuting it in his writings. How any student could have been given a diploma from SWBTS without embracing the truth taught by Dr. Carroll on this important theological issue is rather perplexing, to say the least.

But the case is, preachers such as Tom and Bill Ascol of the Founders Ministries, James Galyon, James Hamilton, Tom Nettles, and some others managed to get diplomas while not embracing the views of Dr. Carroll on the New Birth, or Regeneration. These men adopted the post-reformation Reformed Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinist view which holds that "regeneration precedes faith." -- a view which the Seminary's Founder refuted.

In a recent blog comment, Southwestern graduate James "the Rev" Galyon, said he did not "mention" Dr. B. H. Carroll in his writing of which I was critical. The fact is, Galyon would obviously not mention Dr. Carroll because Galyon apparently differs with Dr. Carroll's view on regeneration in preference to the Pedobaptist theory of Dr. J. I. Packer, Ian Murray, R. C. Sproul, and similar Reformed Hybrid Calvinists. And even though the "Flounders" like to associate the name of B. H. Carroll with their "movement," the fact is, Dr. Carroll rejected what the Founders teach on the New Birth.

If, as Hybrid Calvinists teach, the New Birth consists in a "regeneration" of the unbeliever which supposedly gives him the "ability to hear and believe", in contrast to the actual creation of repentance and faith by the Holy Spirit's use of the Word of God -- then this is in contradiction to what Dr. Carroll taught (as follows):

The Holy Spirit then is the agent in regeneration and the instrumental means of regeneration is the Word of God, or the preaching of Christ crucified, yet the power of the Spirit does not reside in the word as inspired by him, but the agency is positive and active in the use of the word.This is illustrated by the use of the ax and the sword. We say that an ax is adapted to cutting down trees, and not that it has power to cut down a tree apart from its intelligent use by the woodsman; and we say that the sword is adapted to cut or thrust, not that it has in itself the power to kill apart from its intelligent wielding by the swordsman. So, though the Word of God is represented as 'quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do,' yet this Word is but the Spirit's sword, powerful only when wielded by him. (An Interpretation of the English Bible, Volume 10, pages 287, 288).

Earlier, Dr. Carroll said the following. (Please notice that he denies that the pre-faith work of the Holy Spirit constitutes the New Birth):

Some theologians hold that in the new birth the subject is passive and the Spirit's power is immediate, i.e., the direct impact of Spirit on spirit. Others held that in the new birth the subject is active and that the Spirit employs the word of God as a means, but I say that there is an element of truth in both positions. Antecedent to all human effort a direct power of the Holy Spirit quickens the soul or makes it sensitive to impressions by the word. For example, "The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she should attend to the words spoken by Paul." Now if this first touch of the Spirit is what we mean by the new birth, the first position is undoubtedly correct.

But while insisting on the necessity and reality of this initial and direct power of the Spirit, if one should hold that this is not what the Scriptures call the new birth he would be able to support his view by many scriptures. This appears from the fact that when one is born into the kingdom of God he is fully a child of God. But if the subject of the hew birth is passive only – 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.

Dr. Carroll continues:

Moreover, it is contrary to Scripture, as witness --

James 1:18: "Having willed it, he begat us (apekuesen) by the word of truth."

I Peter 1:23 : "Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of the living God. But this is the word which was announced to you."

Gal. 3:26: "For ye are all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus."

Romans 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God."

Moreover, in John 3:9-18, when Nicodemus asks, "How can these things come to be," that is, what is the instrumental means of the new birth, Jesus explains by telling that Christ must be lifted up as an object of faith, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.

Again, John 1:12, 13: "But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Then Dr. Carroll presents this INPECCABLE SYLLOGISM:

This teaching may be put into a syllogism, thus:

Every one born of God has the right to be called a child of God.
But no one has the right until he believes in Jesus.
Therefore the new birth is not completed without faith.

The true scriptural position then is this:

There is, first of all, a direct influence of the Holy Spirit on the passive spirit of the sinner, quickening him or making him sensitive to the preaching of the Word. In this the sinner is passive. But he is not a subject of the new birth without contrition, repentance and faith. In exercising these he is active. (An Interpretation of the English Bible, Volume 10, pages 286, 287).

So, Dr. Carroll affirmed, as do all sound Baptists, that there is indeed a pre-faith influence by the Holy Spirit, but Dr. Carroll did not equate this influence as being regeneration or the New Birth. Whether or not one holds the exact view as Dr. Carroll, it is certainly beyond any doubt that he did not believe and teach that one is born again prior to faith.--

In the light of these passages cited which contradict the idea that regeneration is merely the giving of "ability," we believe Dr. Carroll is absolutely correct when he says:

"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).

In a Sermon on "The Human Side of Regeneration," 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).

In this sermon, Carroll has a diagram on page 177 which demonstrates that conviction, repentance, and faith equal the New Birth. I can't exactly duplicate the diagram on this blog, but Dr. Carroll uses it to demonstrate that the Spirit's unseen inner work in using the Word (top line) is to bring conviction, repentance, and faith (lower line), which EQUALS the New Birth. Thus, he calls "conviction, repentance, and faith" the "constituent elements of regeneration."

He has "Regeneration" on the top line;
He has "Conviction, Repentance, Faith" on a line below.
He has a bracket } which combines both lines to equal New Birth.

Among his comments are these:

I would prefer to write the word "regeneration" above a horizontal line with "conviction," "repentance," "faith" directly underneath, so that three names under the line are exactly equal in length to the one above the line. . . . Conviction, repentance and faith are the CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF REGENERATION.

Dr. Carroll even specifically refutes "some theologians" whom he says limit the word "regeneration" to the "influence which precedes all attention to God's word," and he says "the New Testament does not so limit the term regeneration" (pages 177, 185).

He does not name the "some theologians," but I suspect he has the Hybrid pedobaptists in mind, such as Dr. W. G. T. Shedd.

While affirming that the Spirit does exert a preliminary influence, he says, "But I do not call this influence regeneration" (page 178).

There you have a specific denial by B. H. Carroll of the idea that the preliminary influence of the Spirit is "pre-faith regeneration." He further says, "No son without faith" (page 185).

Carroll believed that the Spirit uses "the instrumentality of the Word in the new birth" (page 187.

He says (page 187):

Brother preacher . . . Preach the Word. 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 whosoever believeth in Him is born of God.

Dr. Carroll on the Relation of Justification and Regeneration:
When we accept Jesus by faith as he is offered in the gospel, we at once and forever enter into justification, redemption of soul, and adoption into God's family, and are regenerated. We are no longer aliens and enemies, but children and friends of God. . . . The ground of the justification is the expiation of Christ. The means by which we receive the justification is the Holy Spirit's part of regeneration which is called cleansing. Regeneration consists of two elements, at least – cleansing and renewing. But the very moment that one believes in Christ the Holy Spirit applies the blood of Christ to his heart and he is cleansed from the defilement of sin. At the same time the Holy Spirit does another thing. He renews the mind. He changes that carnal mind which is enmity toward God. [An Interpretation of the English Bible, Volume 14, pages 126, 127].

Justification comes in touch with regeneration at that point where the Spirit of God by the application of the blood of Christ, cleanses the soul. When the man accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his Teacher, Sacrifice, Priest, and King, and trusts in him for salvation, then God in heaven justifies the man, or declares an acquittal of him, through his faith in the blood, but the blood is applied in the cleansing part of regeneration, so that we see again from this relation between regeneration and justification how it is that regeneration cannot be complete without faith. [An Interpretation of the English Bible, Volume 10, pages 293, 294].

It is no marvel that Southwestern Theological Seminary, founded by Carroll, has been known over the years for its sending forth graduates who are noted for their evangelistic, soul winning, and missionary endeavors. I think they reflect the influence of Dr. Carroll's views.

Contrarily, those of the modern Hybrid Calvinist view on the new birth have not distinguished themselves for evangelistic, soul winning endeavors, but rather they have majored on beating the drums for the version of "regeneration" which derives from the Pedobaptists,
even to the point of dispensing with "public invitations" to lost sinners to accept Christ, following the lead of Pedobaptist Ian Murray and his disciple, Ernest Reisinger, founder of the Founders Ministries.

COMMENTS: Your comments are welcome, but in the absence of "Charles" the exclusive Moderator of Comments, they must be sent to Bob L. Ross' email at --
pilgrimpub@aol.com.

Spurgeon on "Just As I Am"

2009-08-19T23:23:00.007-04:00

SPURGEON EXTOLLED THE GREAT HYMN
OF INVITATION, "JUST AS I AM"
by CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT (1789-1871)

Charlotte Elliott's great hymn, "Just As I Am," was included in C. H. Spurgeon's OUR OWN HYMNBOOK, #546, giving it a very unique place in Christian hymnology associated with England's most famous Baptist minister and church. It was frequently sung at the Tabernacle and apparently was especially selected in evangelistic settings.

Next to "Amazing Grace" by John Newton, perhaps no other hymn has been sung in Baptist churches more frequently than "Just As I Am." C. H. Spurgeon relates the following about Charlotte Elliott's conversion and hymn:

>>
Some have been cast by the providence of God into positions where they have met with Christian men, and a word of admonition has been blessed to them. A lady was one day at an evening party, and there met with Caesar Malan, the famous divine of Geneva, who, in his usual manner, enquired of her whether she was a Christian. She was startled, surprised, and vexed, and made a short reply to the effect that it was not a question she cared to discuss; whereupon, Mr. Malan replied with great sweetness, that he would not persist in speaking of it, but he would pray that she might he led to give her heart to Christ, and become a useful worker for him.

Within a fortnight she met the minister again, and asked him how she must come to Jesus. Mr. Malan’s reply was, “Come to him just as you are.”

That lady gave herself up to Jesus: it was Charlotte Elliott, to whom we owe that precious hymn —

“Just as I am — without one plea,
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee —
O Lamb of God, I come.”

It was a blessed thing for her that she was at that party, and that the servant of God from Geneva should have been there, and should have spoken to her so faithfully. Oh for many a repetition of the story “of one Simon a Cyrenian,” coming, not with the intent to bear the cross, but with quite another mind, and yet being enlisted in the cross-bearing army of the Lord Jesus!
>> [Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 31, Year 1885, page 425.]

Here is another brief account of how the author, Charlotte Elliott, became a Christian:

>>
Cesar Malan (1787-1864) urged Charlotte Elliott to come "just as you are." The Swiss evangelist and hymn writer always liked to speak a word for Jesus. One day, while visiting England, he spoke to a young women at his table, saying that he hoped she was a Christian. Charlotte Elliott bristled. She would rather not discuss that question, she said. Malan apologized if he had given offense. For Charlotte, however, Malan's witness was a turning point. She could not get his suggestion out of her head.

Three weeks later, she met Malan again and told him that ever since he had spoken to her, she had been trying to find Jesus her Savior. How could she come to Him, she wondered. "You have nothing of merit to bring to God. You must come just as you are," replied the minister. Rejoicing, Charlotte did.
>> http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/DAILYF/2003/09/daily-09-22-2003.shtml

The following biographical information on Charlotte Elliott is from the website http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/e/l/elliott_c.htm

>>
Born: March 18, 1789, Clapham, Surrey, England. Died: September 22, 1871, Brighton, East Sussex, England.Buried: St. Andrew’s Church, Hove, Sussex, England. Elliott became an invalid around age 30, and remained so for the rest of her life. About her physical condition, Elliott wrote:

My Heavenly Father knows, and He alone, what it is, day after day, and hour after hour, to fight against bodily feelings of almost overpowering weakness and languor and exhaustion, to resolve, as He enables me to do, not to yield to the slothfulness, the depression, the irritability, such as a body causes me to long to indulge, but to rise every morning determined on taking this for my motto, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Elliott lived in Brighton, England, and for some 40 years, had an ongoing “spiritual” correspondence with Henri A. C. Malan. She wrote about 150 hymns.
>>

C. H. SPURGEON, on the hymn, "Just As I Am":
>>
It is unspeakably precious in hours of discouragement, then, to fly straight away to Jesus, with the contrite cry of—

"Just as I am—without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd'st me come to thee.
O Lamb of God, I come."

I have heard of persons boasting that they had outgrown that hymn, but I know I never shall. I must be content still to come to Jesus with no qualification for mercy except that which my sin and misery may give me in the eyes of his free grace. It is a thousand mercies that, although clouds may obscure other evidences, they cannot prevent our coming to the great propitiation, and casting ourselves upon its cleansing power.
>>--Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 13, Year 1867, sermon #755, "Alive or Dead -- Which?" pages 332, 333.

In addition to the foregoing comment from Spurgeon, here is what is said in the Preface of Spurgeon's OUR OWN HYMNBOOK, the hymnal compiled by Spurgeon for use at the Tabernacle, page iv:

>>
3. Hymns suitable for revivals, prayer-meetings, and earnest addresses to sinners, are given in larger numbers and greater variety than in any other selection known to the editor, and several popular verses whose poetic merit had not commended them to previous compilers, have been adopted in deference to the Great Spirit who has so frequently blessed the use of them both to saints and sinners.
>>
[Our Own Hymnbook has been reprinted by Pilgrim Publications in Large Print].

Spurgeon's OUR OWN HYMNBOOK has the hymn, "Just As I Am," at No. 546 under the category or heading of, "The Gospel Received by Faith." So Spurgeon associated "Just As I Am" with the reception of the Gospel by faith.

In the March 1865 issue of The Sword and the Trowel, Spurgeon's magazine, page 128, there is a description of a large meeting of six to seven thousand in the congregation, during a period of intense, ongoing revival, with many being converted to Christ, and a fervent spirit abounding in the church. The report says:

>>
Between six and seven thousand persons assembled . . . Mr. Spurgeon, after a few words of gratitude and joy for the return of such an occasion, gave out some verses of the 100th Psalm, that all might join in a song of praise. He then suggested that their next duty was to give thanks for the blessing which had attended the former meeting of the same kind, the effect of which, upon his own people, was that ninety-three [93] had sat down on the previous evening, for the first time at the table of the Lord. Mr. Marshall and Mr. Barnard presented the incense of praise.

Mr. Spurgeon then gave out the hymn, commencing with --
"Just as I am, Without one plea."

This was a prelude to confession of sin, which, after a silent confession of two or three minutes of each for himself, was offered in the name of all by Mr. Clark. . . .

Now came the direct reference to the unsaved. This was introduced by a most earnest and awakening address by Mr. Spurgeon, and was responded to in prayer by Mr. Stott and Mr. Varley. A hymn followed, commencing thus,
"Once a sinner near despair."
Mr. Teal and Mr. Burton then prayed, and Mr. Spurgeon closed with prayer. INQUIRERS were then encouraged to retire to the lecture hall, where ministers and elders would be glad to converse with them; and MANY RESPONDED TO THE INVITATION.

This was one of the most sober, the most impressive, and, we should judge, the most effective meetings we have ever witnessed.
>>

Here it is seen that during a period of great revival, with many being converted, "Just As I Am" was chosen by Spurgeon on this occasion as part of the service. Spurgeon was always concerned that he would select the proper hymns, as he indicates in the following comment:
>>
I have constantly made it my prayer that I might be guided by the Spirit even in the smallest and least important parts of the service; for you cannot tell but that the salvation of a soul may depend upon the reading of a hymn, or upon the selection of a chapter. Two persons have joined our church and made a profession of being converted simply through my reading a hymn --“Jesus, lover of my soul.”

They did not remember anything else in the hymn, but those words made such a deep impression upon their mind, that they could not help repeating them for days afterwards, and then the thought arose, “Do I love Jesus?” And then they considered what strange ingratitude it was that he should be the lover of their souls, and yet they should not love him. Now I believe the Holy Spirit led me to read that hymn.
>> [From New Park Street Pulpit, Volume 4, Year 1858, sermon #201, page 293. Available on the Internet at Spurgeon Archive http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0201.htm and Spurgeon Gems http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols4-6/chs201.pdf ]

C. H. Spurgeon exhorted:
>>
Salvation? Why thousands do not know what you mean by the term, and here, in this century of light and advancement as we boastfully call it, gross darkness covers the minds of a large proportion of our countrymen!Brethren, the time has not come for you to cease distributing the most plain tracts. The time has not arrived for you to be silent at the street corners even upon the first principles of the faith. You must still proclaim Atonement by the sacrifice of Christ, and the simple doctrine of Justification by Faith. Possibly there may come an age when it will be wise to expatiate mainly upon the deep things of God, but for this present distress we may wisely give our whole strength to telling out the foundation fact—that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Our sermons must repeat times out of number the story of the Cross. The hymns most commonly sung should be of the same order as—“Rock of ages, cleft for me.” “Jesus, lover of my Soul.” “Come, you sinners, poor and wretched.” and “Just as I am, without one plea.” We have even need of such simple ditties as—“I do believe, I will believe, that Jesus died for me.”

For upon that point ignorance and unbelief still cloud the mass of the people among whom we dwell. Let not the people be destroyed for lack of knowledge! Let none go down to Hell because they know not of a Savior. Let me say here that even with those who have heard the Gospel well preached, this ignorance may still remain—as it did in my own case.

I believe if I had known that all I had to do was to look to Christ and I should live. If I had really understood that there was nothing for me to be, nor feel, nor do—but I had only to rest in a finished work and take from God’s mercy that which Christ had completed—I think if I had known that Truth of God, I should have found peace with God much earlier. But I did not understand the Gospel, and therefore remained in distress of mind. Do, then, tell everybody about Jesus! Tell them of the Son of God made flesh! Tell them about Substitution! Speak the word plainly. Tell them—“He bore that we might never bear
His Father’s righteous ire.”

Assure them that whoever believes in Him is not condemned, and that to believe is to trust. Open up that word, for even plain and simple words get to be technical and men dream that there is some other meaning in them than that which they ordinarily have. You cannot put the Gospel too plainly, but anyway, put it before them, and then roll away this stone from the mouth of the sepulcher.
>> http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols16-18/chs1052.pdf

>>
Remember that hymn which ought to be sung every Sunday in our assemblies—

“Just as I am—and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To You, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come.”

Every verse begins with, “Just as I am,” and so must your prayers, your faith, your hope begin. The whole hymn commences, “Just as I am,” and so must your Christian life be started.
>> http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols22-24/chs1283.pdf

>>
Brethren, whether you will do so or not, I flee to the cross again. In the Rock of Ages I again hide myself. Who among us dares to come forth from that divine shelter? “Jesus, lover of our soul, let us to thy bosom by.”

Let all of us sing as though it were for the first time —

“Just as I am — without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God. I come.”

Dear friends, it is due to God, it is due to Christ, it is due to the gospel, that we should every day believe with like simplicity of undivided trust. Keep on believing in Christ, “to whom coming as unto a living stone.”

We are to live by faith.
>> [Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 30, Year 1884, page 671].

It is no marvel that Charlotte Elliott's inspiring and all-time favorite invitation hymn, "Just As I Am," was loved and used by Spurgeon at the Tabernacle where evangelism of the lost was the first priority of interest and endeavor. Of course, this hymn may not be appreciated by some of our very "rigid", anti-public invitation brethren who apparently are somewhat ambivalent about its use, but the fact is, this hymn has been greatly influential, its message so convicting and inviting, and so blessed of the Spirit of God during times of public invitations when those who have heard the Gospel are urged to trust Christ and be saved. It is very likely that even many of those brethren who are like unto those whom Spurgeon once described as "doctrinal brethren" (Vol. 8, #465, page 460) may have professed faith in Christ during invitations where "Just As I Am" was used! That was of course before they apparently became so crystallized in "rigid doctrine" and "zeal for orthodoxy" that they lost some of their appreciation for the simple elements of the Gospel of Christ expressed in "Just As I Am."

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Dagg and "Invitations"

2009-08-18T11:00:00.010-04:00

PUBLIC INVITATION USED IN 1809
DURING LIFE OF JOHN L. DAGG

How many times have you read or heard some Reformed Hybrid Calvinist allege that Presybterian (Pedobaptist) Charles G. Finney invented the altar call or public invitation?

You can find this type of historical fiction all over the Internet among the so-called "Reformed" born-again-before-faith advocates. They are pleased to discredit public invitations by the terms "decisional regeneration," as if those who use invitations to encourage a public confession of Christ as Lord and Savior believe that one is "regenerated" by their "decision."

Several months ago, I wrote several replies to anti-public invitation articles some of which appear on the Internet. Among the objections that some offer is this false claim that "the practice of publicly inviting people to come forward at the conclusion of a Gospel sermon, did not begin until the time of the 19th century revivalist, Charles G. Finney (1792-1895), who was probably the first to employ this method" (Daryl Erkel).

Likewise, James E. Adams (not to be confused with Pedobaptist Jay Adams), says:

Most Christians are surprised to learn that history before the time of Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) knows nothing of this type of "invitation." The practice of urging men and women to make a physical movement at the conclusion of a meeting was introduced by Mr. Finney in the second decade of the nineteenth century.

That this is not the case is demonstrated in the Autobiography of John L. Dagg (1794-1884), a name well-known in Baptist history. Here is an account given by Dr. Dagg of a church service wherein an "invitation" was given when he was 14 years of age, which would have been in 1809, many years before Finney even started preaching.

From the AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF REV. JOHN L. DAGG, pages 9, 10:
>>
Accordingly, on the first of January, 1809, before I was fifteen years old, I became the master of a neighborhood school. . . . Sometime afterwards I was present at a meeting of the Long Branch church when invitation was given, to those who had hope in Christ, to come forward, and relate their experience. I felt strongly moved to accept the invitation, with others who presented themselves; but considerations, with the sufficiency of which I was not wholly satisfied, held me back.

At length I adopted an unauthorized method of determining my case. Among the persons who had been expected to offer themselves to the church that day, was an individual who had been my school-mate. I decided, if he went forward, to accompany him. Several related their experiences and were received by the church; but as my school-mate was not of the number, I felt, perhaps with some joy, released from taking up the cross.

But when the pastor rose to dismiss the meeting, the young man started from his seat, and asked permission to tell what the Lord had done for him. This was now unexpected to me and I was now unable to rally, for the performance of duty. I left the meeting unhappy; and many an unhappy day of spiritual darkness and conflict followed, before I publicly professed Christ.
>>

While anti-invitationists would no doubt find some "differences" between this invitation and others to which they object, nevertheless the fact remains this was an INVITATION for the purpose of CONFESSING Christ as Savior, and it was practiced by Baptists before the days of Charles G. Finney.

This is just another example of the misinformation which is frequently offered by those who are influenced by Hybrid Calvinists and pedo-regenerationists such as Iain Murray who campaign against certain methods used in evangelism.

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Galyon Gagging on Hybridism?

2009-08-17T11:33:00.008-04:00

JAMES GALYON BECOMES A CRITIC
OF REFORMED HYBRID CALVINISM

In his blog for August 17, 2009, our frequent nemesis James Galyon (alias the "Rev") has become somewhat of a critic of some who advocate the "Reformed" view on "monergism" which separates "regeneration" as an act which allegedly precedes faith in Christ -- i. e. "born again before faith" or "regeneration precedes faith."

This has been a pet theory of the Pedobaptists dating back at least to the latter 17th century. It seems to have become popularized, apparently by Francis Turretin, and is advocated by many Pedobaptists of later years, such as W. G. T. Shedd, Louis Berkhof, J. I. Packer, John Frame, R. C. Sproul, and some of their disciples among the so-called "Reformed Baptist" camp. Galyon has identified himself in that "Reformed Baptist" camp, but what he writes today directly conflicts with the "Truly Reformed" Pedobaptists who hold this theory.

Galyon does not indicate he has forsaken that theory, but he does make some comments which seem to indicate that he is not altogether happy with how some of the Hybrid Calvinists advocate their notion on "monergism." He says:

>>
I believe one problem with many Reformed individuals (i.e., Augustinians, Calvinists) is that they stress monergism (i.e., regeneration preceding faith) in a manner which over-emphasizes chronology. Such an over-emphasis may sound cold and technical, whereas the doctrine of the new birth should demonstrate the warmth of salvation. I don’t believe this over-emphasis is intended to sound abstract, but it may come across this way at times. Those of us within the Reformed camp need to be cautious in the way we handle this doctrine.
>>[Emphasis supplied by the Flyswatter].

This critical observation by Galyon may not set too well with the Pedobaptist Truly Reformed camp, even if it is only a mere "slap-on-the-hand" type of criticism. After all, the "chronological" distinction between "regeneration" and "faith" is a vital element in Pedobaptist soteriology in regard to their infants. They hold that children born to believers are the subjects of very early "regeneration," based on their idea that the promise of regeneration is "inherited" by elect infants.

Some, like John Frame, teach that this "regeneration" takes place even before physical birth, while others such Shedd and Berkhof, teach that it takes place before, at, or shortly after elect infants are baptized. As for the faith of the elect infants, this supposedly evolves much later in the elect infants once they have developed mentally. The "regeneration precedes faith" idea was evidently an aberration which evolved out of the notion that elect infants are subjects of an early regeneration before they are mentally capable of faith.

James is an illustration of how a Baptist who swallows the "regeneration precedes faith" concoction gags on Pedobaptist Reformed Hybrid Calvinism of the Truly Reformed.

Galyon the Garbler

2009-08-16T14:54:00.009-04:00

JAMES GALYON CONTINUES TO GARBLE
C. H. SPURGEON AND OTHERS

Peter Lumpkins indicates that he finds James "the Collider" Galyon to be a "confusing" writer.

Peter says, "James, there's entirely too much confusion. I half-way think you're attempting to argue two sides at the same time, but I can't be sure. I do know it's best to stick with one position or the other."

While there is an abundance of confusion in Galyon's writing, I think a better description of James is "Garbler." He seems to find a way to garble anything he touches -- if it conflicts with the Pedbaptist Reformed Hybrid Calvinism ("regeneration precedes faith") of which James is so obsessed.

Awhile back, we observed how Galyon garbled John Gano by "dotting out" a most significant statement in a "quotation" Galyon gave from Gano in the attempt to make a Hybrid Calvinite out of Gano.

Currently, Galyon continues to garble C. H. Spurgeon, and despite all the evidence to contrary, he seems determined to make a Hybrid Calvinist out of Spurgeon. And if one gets a little too tough on James' views, he will accuse that person of the "appearance" of "hatred" and being "vitriolic," such as he alleges of me.

Contrary to Pedobaptist Reformed Hybrid Calvinism, Spurgeon did not regard the preliminary workings of the Holy Spirit within a lost person to constitute the new birth or regeneration.

Here is another example of Spurgeon's view on the matter, taken from his sermon on "Prevenient Grace" (or "Preparatory Grace"):

>>
Now let me show you how God’s Grace does come to work on the human heart so as to make it good soil before the living seed is cast into it—so that before quickening Grace visits it, the heart may be called a good heart—because it is prepared to receive that Grace.

I think this takes place thus—first of all, before quickening Grace comes, God often gives an attentive ear and makes a man willing to listen to the Word. Not only does he like to listen to it, but he wants to know the meaning of it. There is a little excitement in his mind to know what the Gospel tidings really are. He is not saved as yet, but it is always a hopeful sign when a man is willing to listen to the Truth and is anxious to understand it.

This is one thing which prevenient Grace does in making the soul good. In Ezekiel’s vision, as you will recall, before the breath came from the four winds, the bones began to stir and they came together bone to his bone. So, before the Spirit of God comes to a man in effectual
calling, God’s Grace often comes to make a stir in the man’s mind so that he no longer indifferent to the Truth but is anxious to understand what it means.

The next mark of this gracious work is an honest heart. Some persons will not hear you, or if they do, they are always picking holes and finding fault—they are not honest and good ground. But there are others who say, “I will give the man a fair and an honest hearing. I will read the Bible. I will read it honestly. I will really see whether it is the Word of God or not. I will come to it without any prejudices, or, if I have any prejudices I will throw them aside.”

Now, all this is a blessed work of preparatory Grace making the heart ready to receive effectual calling. Then, when this willingness and honesty are attended with a tender conscience, as they are in some unconverted people, this is another great blessing. Some of you are not converted, but you would not do wrong। You are not saints, but you would not tell a lie for the world! I thank God that there are some of you so excellent in morals that if you were proposed to us for Church membership, we could not raise any objection to you on that ground, at any rate. You are as honest as the day is long। As for the things of God, you are outwardly as attentive to them and as diligent in them as the most earnest and indefatigable Christians। Now, this is because your conscience is tender. When you do wrong you cannot sleep at night. And you do not feel at all easy in being without a Savior—I know some of you do not. You have not come to any decision; the grace of God has not really made you feel your thoroughly blind state—still you are not quite easy. In fact, to go farther, your affections, though not weaned altogether from earth, yet begin to tremble a little as though they would go heavenward.

You want to be a Christian—when the communion table is spread, you dare not come downstairs—but I see you looking from the gallery and you wish you were with us. You know you have not believed in Jesus Christ, and the world keeps you back from doing so—but still there is a kind of twitching in your conscience. You do not know what it is, but there is a something in you that makes you say at times, “O God, let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his.”

Yes, and you even go farther than this and ask to live the righteous man’s life, too. Now, remember, this will not save you—“You must be born again.”

But for all this the Church of God should feel deeply grateful—for they have seen in themselves that this is often God’s preparatory work—clearing away the rubbish and rubble and digging out the foundations, that Jesus Christ might be laid there, the Cornerstone of future hope and of future happiness!
>>
[End of excerpt]

We see in this excerpt that Spurgeon did not believe that one is born again until he has come to a "decision" -- the decision to believe on Christ as Saviour. When this faith has been brought about by the power of the Word and Spirit, then there is "evidence" of regeneration or the new birth. Wherever there is such faith, then we know the new birth has taken place. But as Spurgeon emphasized, where there is no faith there is no regeneration.

Here is more from Spurgeon:
>>
For, first, without faith there is no capacity for communion with God at all. The things of God are spiritual and invisible—without faith we cannot recognize such things but must be dead to them. Faith is the eye which sees. But without that eye we are blind and can have no fellowship with God in those Sacred Truths which only faith can perceive. Faith is the hand of the soul, and without it, we have no grasp of eternal things. If I were to mention all the images by which faith is set forth, each one would help you to see that you must have faith in order to know God and enter into converse with Him. It is only by faith that we can recognize God, approach Him, speak to Him, hear Him, feel His Presence and be delighted with His perfections. He that has not faith is toward God as one dead. And Jehovah is not the God of the dead, but of the living. The communion of the living God goes not forth toward death and corruption. His fellowship is with those who have spiritual life, a life akin to His own. Where there is no faith, there has been no quickening of the Holy Spirit, for faith is of the very essence of spiritual life.

And so the man who has no faith can no more commune with the living God and give Him pleasure, than can a stick or a stone, a horse or an ox, hold converse with the human mind. (Faith Essential to Pleasing God, MTP, Sermon #2100, Vol. 35, 446).
>>

As can be seen from Spurgeon's "Soul Winner" book, while all efficient power is attributed to the Holy Spirit, Spurgeon always has "means" involved as the Spirit's "instrumentality." He says, "Instruction by the gospel is the commencement of all real work upon men's minds" (page 17, Pilgrim edition).

"He works by means" (page 25), Spurgeon says, and "Paul compares himself both to a father and to a mother in the matter of the new birth" (page 25).

"Such mysterious power doth God infuse into the instrumentality which He ordains" (page 26), "we regard ourselves as used by the Holy Ghost . . . the marvels of regeneration which attend our ministry" (page 27), "He quicken(s) them by the gospel" (page 28), and "The production of faith is the very centre of the target at which you aim" (page 29).

So wrote Spurgeon, and likewise what he preached.

So Spurgeon's view is that regeneration neither preceeds faith nor follows after faith -- rather, regeneration is the very creation of faith itself.

When one is made a believer of the Gospel of Christ by the efficient power of the Holy Spirit, he IS THEN born again -- not before, and not after faith, but at the same instant of faith in Christ, which faith has been created by instrumentality of the Gospel thru the power of the Holy Spirit -- NOT by the power of the WILL OF MAN (John 1:12, 12) or by what some dub as "decisional regeneration" -- as some of the Hybrid Calvinists ("Reformed") would have you believe about non-Hybrid Calvinists.

If a man were regenerated BEFORE faith, at the point of regeneration he would be a spiritual freak -- a "regenerated (born again) unbeliever."

If he were regenerated AFTER faith, at the point of faith he would be an unregenerated believer, another spiritual freak.

Neither of these is consistent with Scripture (1 John 5:12). Both ideas are spiritual non-existants.

The pre-faith regeneration view is admitted by both Shedd and Berkhof to be a different view on regeneration than taught in former years by the Puritans and as set forth in the Westminster Confession (See Shedd, Vol. 2, page 402; Berkhof, pages 470, 476).

It certainly conflicts with our Baptist Confessions, all of which affirm the necessary use of the Word as an instrumentality in the Holy Spirit's bringing forth faith and the New Birth.

In his sermon, "A Kind of Firstfruits," preached on January 5, 1868, sermon number 3275, on the text, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures"
(James 1:18.

Spurgeon said:
>>
The instrumentality through which this singular change has been wrought in us is clearly stated, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.”

Men are not usually saved without the immediate agency of the gospel. Some have said that the Spirit of God always works through the truth, and that the truth is sure to work conviction. The truth, however, is preached, and faithfully preached, to tens of thousands, to whom it conveys not a blessing at all, but is the savour of death unto death.

Others have said that the Spirit of God regenerates men apart from the Word of God but this is not told us in Scripture, and is not therefore to be received.

But evermore the Word and the Spirit are put together. Scripture does not talk of the Word of God as a dead letter; it says, “The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword.”

On the other hand, Scripture does not speak of the Holy Spirit as though the Word would work apart from him, but the two are put together, and "what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”

My dear brethren and sisters, you who have been begotten again unto a lively hope, was it not through the hearing of the Word, or the reading of it, or the remembrance of some hallowed text which you had almost forgotten? You know it was.

Good McCheyne used to say, “Depend on it, it is God’s Word that saves souls, and not our comment upon God’s Word;” and so I believe it is. It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.

And what is this Word? What is it that usually brings men to be begotten unto a new life? The Word, the especial quickening Word, is the preaching of the doctrine of the cross. . . . Oh! then, if you have been quickened by the Word, tell out the Word. If the gospel has brought you to salvation, tell that gospel out.
>>

Spurgeon:

"If I am to preach faith in Christ to a man who is regenerated, then the man, being regenerated, is saved already, and it is an unnecessary and ridiculous thing for me to preach Christ to him, and bid him to believe in order to be saved when he is saved already, being regenerate" (The Warrant of Faith, #531, page 532).

So much for Garbling Galyon's colliding with Spurgeon.

Spurgeon vs. Galyon, etc.

2009-08-15T18:59:00.005-04:00

SPURGEON COLLIDES WITH GALYON
AND OTHER HYBRID CALVINISTS

Some Hybrid Calvinists dislike the term "decision" in the matter of salvation, and some talk about a so-called "decisional regeneration" idea in an effort to discredit the use of the word "decision."

So be it. They can choose their own poison. But to try to drag Spurgeon into their leaky tent is preposterous.

SPURGEON vs. GALYON

In the case of James Galyon, it is indeed "2 Worlds Collide" -- namely, Galyon's Hybrid Calvinist World colliding with C. H. Spurgeon's world.

Spurgeon preached the Gospel to "dead sinners," called upon the dead sinners to repent and believe, and thereby he made converts to Christ.

The Pedo-infected Hybrids (on the whole) rely on "infant regeneration," which is supposedly an "inheritance" in consequence of the infants being born to believers. That is why there are no "evangelists" among the Hybrid Calvinists. Their chief business is to seek proselytes to Hybrid Calvinism from among believers who were previously converted by "non-Calvinists."

Spurgeon:
>>
If thou believest in Jesus Christ and him crucified, in the moment that thou believest, this great change of nature is effected in thee; for faith has in itself a singularly transforming power. . . . . So, faith towards God in itself produces a total change of mind in the man who has it. But, beside that, there goes with faith a divine energy which changes the heart of man.
>>
(Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 41, page 235, Despised Light Withdrawn).

Spurgeon did indeed teach that there was a pre-faith work ("prevenient grace") done by the Word and Spirit in the sinner, such as in the case of Lydia, but Spurgeon did not call this the "new birth" or "regeneration," as if one is born again before he has believed on Christ.
The fact is, Spurgeon said the sinner is "not saved" by the preceding or prevenient work before he is brought to "decision," or faith (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 11, Year 1865, pages 596, 597).

Ian Murray Acknowledges Spurgeon's View

No less than Pedobaptist and Hybrid Calvinism advocate, Mr. Ian Murray of The Banner of Truth, has often in the past twisted and spun Spurgeon in an effort to make a Hybrid Calvinist out of Spurgeon. But it seems that Murray, for some unknown reason, in more recent times, has felt under obligation to acknowledge the fact that Spurgeon indeed held that faith "occurs at the same time as the new birth" (The Old Evangelicism, page 65), which conflicts with the "pre-faith" notion of the Hybrids.

This acknowledgment was called to my attention a while back by a brother Ian Elsasser and I am deeply indebted to him for the reference. If some Hybrid Calvinist tries to use Murray's past twists of Spurgeon to teach Hybrid Calvinism, you can refer the person to Murray's acknowledgment in this book published in 2005 by the Banner of Truth.

We have also before called attention to --
SPURGEON'S IMMACULATE SYLLOGISM

Here is C. H. Spurgeon's Immaculate Syllogism, which is based on 1 John 5:4. This is on page 142 of Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 17, 1971, Sermon #979, "Faith and Regeneration" which Galyon has posted on his blog:

Spurgeon:

"Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:
But faith overcomes the world,
Therefore the man who has faith is regenerate;

And what means that but that he is saved, and that his faith is the instrument by which he achieves victories."

To state the syllogism summarily:

1. "WHATSOEVER is BORN OF GOD overcometh the world."
2. But FAITH overcomes the world.
3. Therefore, the instant that FAITH is born in a man by the Word and Spirit he is BORN OF GOD in that instant -- and not before.

There is no way under the Sun to squeeze a "born again before faith" situation into that syllogism!

No one can find a person who is "born again" who does not have faith in Christ!

FAITH is that which is BORN OF GOD,
therefore the man who has faith begotten in him
is REGENERATED -- and NO OTHER!

Until faith in Christ has been born in a man, the man has not been born again. It's that simple.

There is simply no room in Spurgeon for the Pedobaptist/Hardshell doctrine of "regeneration precedes faith" -- advocated by the likes Turretin, Shedd, Berkhof, Spoul, Packer, and Packer's disciple, James Galyon -- which alleges that "regeneration" is a separate and distinct preceding act distinguished from effectual calling simultaneously by the Word and Spirit.

Spurgeon Rejected Hybrid Calvinism

2009-08-15T17:06:00.002-04:00

SPURGEON SUMS UP THE HERESY OF
HYBRID CALVINISM IN A FEW WORDS:

"If I am to preach faith in Christ to a man who is regenerated, then the man, being regenerated, is saved already, and it is an unnecessary and ridiculous thing for me to preach Christ to him, and bid him to believe in order to be saved when he is saved already, being regenerate"
(The Warrant of Faith, #531, page 532).

That statement by Spurgeon very well sums up the Pedobaptist Reformed Calvinist heresy that one is "born again before believing," or "regeneration precedes faith."

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Dagg: Faith Precedes in New Birth

2009-08-13T21:01:00.003-04:00

DR. JOHN L. DAGG ON FAITH
PRECEDING IN REGENERATION

Dr. John L. Dagg (1794-1884) did not advocate the "born again before faith" or "regeneration precedes faith" aberration advocated by the Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinists and the "Reformed" Baptists who follow the Pedos, such as the case with James Galyon who is currently engaged on his blog in misconstruing Dr. Dagg's views as well as those of C. H. Spurgeon, another non-Reformed creedal Calvinist.

Despite the fact we have previously revealed on this blog that Dr. Dagg was not an advocate of the Pedobaptist Reformed "born again before faith" heresy on regeneration, the Hybrid Calvinist Flounders continue to use Dagg's picture as "wallpaper." The Flounders would have you believe the implication that they agree with and represent the views held by Dr. Dagg.

Also, they have other information about Dr. Dagg on their website as if to indicate that Dr. Dagg held the same views on "Calvinism" as advocated by the Flounders. In fact, the Flounders even have Dr. Dagg's Manual of Theology book available on their website, although this very book itself contradicts Flounders' Hybrid Calvinism on the new birth.

The Flounders' website carries this statement by Tom Nettles about Dr. Dagg -- "For clarity, cogency, and sincerity of expression, no theological writer of the 19th century surpasses John L. Dagg."

The Flounders' website has an article on Dagg by Mark Dever, who says: "Dagg served at Mercer University, in Georgia, as President (1844-1854), and as professor of theology (1844-1855). There he labored to build the theological department until, in the early 1850's, it was perhaps the most celebrated theological school in the south. . . . Evidence of enduring appreciation for Dagg's work can be seen by the fact that almost forty years after his retirement, when a new theology professor was to be appointed at Mercer in 1893, he was recommended by the simple statement that if this person 'needed any endorsement, it would be sufficient to say that he was a student under that incomparable theological teacher, Rev. J. L. Dagg, D. D., and that he uses his Systematic Theology, as a text book.'"

But contrary to the Flounders' Hybrid Calvinism view on the new birth, here is what Dr. Dagg says about ---

(1) THE SPIRIT'S USE OF THE WORD OF GOD AS THE MEANS in regeneration, and about --

(2) FAITH as PRECEDING REGENERATION:

>>We know, from the Holy Scriptures, that God employs his truth in the regeneration of the soul. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." Love to God necessarily implies knowledge of God, and this knowledge it is the province of truth to impart. . . . What accompanying influence the Holy Spirit uses, to render the word effectual, we cannot explain: but Paul refers to it, when he says, "Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost."--"but in the demonstration of the Spirit, and with power."

The term regeneration is sometimes used in a comprehensive sense, as including the whole formation of the Christian character. At other times it is used for the first production of divine love in the heart. In the latter sense, the work is instantaneous. There is a moment known only to God, when the first holy affection exists in the soul. Truth may enter gradually, and may excite strong affections in the mind, and may for a time increase the hatred of God which naturally reigns in the heart. So Paul says, "Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence." But, in his own time and manner, God, the Holy Spirit, makes the word effectual in producing a new affection in the soul: and, when the first movement of love to God exists, the first throb of spiritual life commences.

Faith is necessary to the Christian character; and must therefore precede regeneration, when this is understood in its widest sense. Even in the restricted sense, in which it denotes the beginning of the spiritual life, faith, in the sense in which James uses the term, may precede.>>

Dr. Dagg then goes on to discuss the difference between that "spiritual" faith and the "faith" which exists beforehand, which is sometimes called "natural" or "historical faith." Later on, he says --

>>This change, by which true love to God is produced, results from the direct influence of the Holy Spirit, accompanying his word, and making it effectual. It was this direct influence which rendered the word so effectual on the day of Pentecost, which opened Lydia's heart, so that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul; -- which gave the increase when Paul planted, and Apollos watered,--and which has ever brought the word to the heart, in demonstration of the Spirit, and with power. . . . By the will of God, the truth has its regenerating and sanctifying power; for he works in us to will and to do, according to his pleasure. It belongs to the Holy Spirit, in the economy of grace, to produce divine life in the soul, as he brooded over the face of the waters, at creation, reducing the chaotic mass to order, and filling it with life.
He is pleased to work with means; and he employs the truth as his instrument of operation. This instrument he wields at his pleasure, and he renders it effectual by his divine power: "My word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.">>

It is clear that Dr. Dagg taught that spiritual faith, which is brought about by the Word applied by the Holy Spirit, "precedes" in the so-called "ordo salutis." It is also clear that Dagg taught that the Word is the "instrument" the Spirit uses in regeneration.

I believe the Flounders probably realize that Dr. Dagg contradicts their theology, and they apparently are careful not to quote him when he does. For example --In a Flounders' article on "Regeneration" by Founders Board of Directors member, Bill Ascol, he quotes from Dr. Dagg but fails to quote Dagg's statement that faith "precedes regeneration."

In fact, Bill Ascol's quotation appears to carefully and, I think, perhaps very deliberately, stops just short of where Dagg makes that statement that faith "precedes regeneration." (See here for Bill Ascol's quote and see here for Dr. Dagg's presentation).

Dr. Dagg's view is clearly contrary to the "pre-faith regeneration," "born again before faith" heresy advocated by the Reformed Pedobaptists and their disciples among the Flounders, and also currently by James Galyon's blog.

So Dr. Dagg was not a Reformed theologian, nor a Flounders' type, on the new birth. He taught the Creedal view. He was of the same mind as B. H. Carroll who contended that "regeneration is not complete without faith."

Since the Flounders and men such as James Galyon flounderously continue to try to exploit both Dr. Dagg and Dr. Carroll to promote essential "Hardshell" doctrine, we will continue to expose this misrepresentation as well as their Hybrid Calvinism heresy on what they call "regeneration."

The Altar Call

2009-08-12T12:33:00.009-04:00

CONVERTS FREQUENTLY MADE IN
RELATION TO PUBLIC INVITATIONS

Perhaps the most popular "whipping boy" of the Reformed Hybrid Calvinist camp of theology is the "altar call" or the "public invitation."

The "Pryomaniacs" website has opened up for its readership to suggest a "better idea," and that despite the fact that it might safely be presumed that 9 of every 10 who comment on that blog were probably converted in relation to an altar call or public invitation.

Even the wealthy gentleman who bank-rolled the Banner of Truth Trust, which is one of the primary critics of public invitations, is said to have "received an assurance of his salvation in Jesus Christ" at an altar prayer at St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem in December of 1955 (Banner of Truth Magazine, No. 93, page 2, June 1973).

I have often read items critical of public invitations and in most cases they were written by persons whose own conversions were related to public invitations. Some, after their "indoctrination" into the Hybrid Calvinism of the Reformed camp, later say they were saved "despite" the invitation.

Oh, well, it is no marvel that it has been observed that a number of the anti-invitation churches fail to evangelize by any method and thus fail to make converts, their memberships dwindled, and some of them have even closed their doors. They didn't seem to have a "better idea" on how to invite lost men and women to come to Christ and confess Him as Lord and Saviour.

Some have utilized other methodology in soliciting professions of faith, such as the "Invitation to the Pastor's Office," which was the practice of the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel in London.

I have written several articles in which I think I have just about replied to every conceivable objection to public invitations, and you can find a number of these articles at this link:

Select Writings of Bob L. Ross

Among my writings are some articles in reply to Pedobaptist Ian Murray, who has written against the use of public invitations, and is responsible for much of the anti-invitation palabber of the current age.
Others basically simply repeat Murray's objections.

I also wrote a reply to Flounders' Founder Ernest Reisinger's criticisms. Ernest himself is said to have prayed "The Sinner's Prayer" and afterwards professed faith during an invitation in an "Arminian" Salvation Army meeting. His experience is somewhat typical of how many, if not most, of the anti-invitationists were converted. It seems that most of our current crop of alleged "Calvinists," like Reisinger, were brought to Christ under alleged "Arminian ministries" which used "Arminian methods," and afterwards they adopted the "Reformed" theology which made it necessary for them to somehow "explain" why those methods were wrong and they "got saved in spite" of the "Arminian methods."

If it weren't for the alleged "Arminians" bringing in the "elect," we wonder how they would be brought into the fold. It has been my observation for over 50 years that most of the "Calvinists" I have known testify that they were evangelized and brought to profess faith by those whom they were later pleased to identify as "Arminian."

COMMENTS: If you wish to post, mail comments to pilgrimpub@aol.com. The combox for this blog is not operable at this time.

John Spilsbury, Not "Reformed"

2009-08-11T16:24:00.002-04:00

EARLIEST LEADER OF THE ENGLISH
PARTICULAR BAPTISTS NOT "REFORMED"

STEPHEN GARRETT, at the BaptistGadfly, has posted the following about John Spilsbury, recognized by Baptist historians as one of the primary earliest leaders among the English Particular Baptists:

John Spilsbury and His Confession

John Spilsbury (1593-1668) was a major leader of the English Particular Baptists and signer of the first London Baptist Confession of Faith:

"I believe that God of his grace, in his own time, effectually calls such as shall be saved to the knowledge of the truth, who is said, of his own will to beget us by the word of truth: in which work of grace, nature is as passive, as a child in the parents begetting of it; and so God by His Spirit works faith in the hearts of all such to believe in Christ, and his righteousness, only for justification. And thus they are made righteous before God in Christ, and so conformable to the will of God the Father through the Son; and also made holy through the work of regeneration, and the holy Spirit of grace dwelling in them; yet all such have still, as long as they live here in the flesh, remaining in them, an old man, that original corruption, the flesh that wars against the spirit, which hinders them in their obedience both to God and to man, and many times draws them to that which is evil, and contrary to their intentions; yet all of them shall through Christ overcome, and safely be brought to glory at last." (emphasis mine)

See here

Clearly Spilsbury put faith before justification and regeneration in his "ordo salutis."

Bob's Note: Stephen Garrett has a veritable storehouse of materials on his BaptistGadfly from Baptists which demonstrates that the modern "born again before believing" of the Hybrid Calvinist Reformed camp is a post-17th century Pedobaptist invention, not held by Baptists and their Confessions of Faith.

Most of the advocates of this aberration in our time are Pedobaptists who teach "regeneration" apart from the necessary instrumentality of the Word and that infants born to believers get "born again" either before they are physically born or shortly after their births.

COMMENTS: To submit comments for the Flyswatter, send them to pilgrimpub@aol.com. Our combox is inoperable at this time.

Benjamin Keach, Not "Reformed"

2009-08-04T11:30:00.004-04:00

BENJAMIN KEACH WAS NOT A
"REFORMED BAPTIST"

We received the following email from our friend, Ian Elsasser, in which he points out how the so-called "Reformed Baptists" have erroneously pegged Benjamin Keach of the 17th century as "Reformed." Keach was a "Baptist" but there is no evidence that he or any other Baptists of his period referred to themselves as "Reformed."

Keach was one of C. H. Spurgeon's notable predecessors as Pastor of the church in London, including John Gill and John Rippon. None of these ever referred to himself or the church as "Reformed Baptists." Neither did Spurgeon himself.

Ian:

I came upon the Benjamin Beach entry in Wikipedia and noticed that, like the Spurgeon entry, some Reformed Baptist identified him in the first sentence as "a Reformed Baptist preacher." I changed the description to "Particular Baptist" since that is what he was.

These Reformed Baptist guys need to stop this anachronism which will mislead the readers and serves only to co-opt Keach and his brethren into their own movement which is not necessarily the same as the 1600-1800 period thought. I wish these gents would have respect for history and use the proper terms, for Reformed Baptist did not exist as a phrase until the 1960s in England and then into Canada and the USA.

Bob's comment:

A friend of mine who is a very keen and scholarly student of Baptist history sent me the following email awhile back:

>>Bro. Bob: In my research over the years I have never found a historical reference where the term "Reformed Baptists" was used by missionary Calvinistic Baptists before the 1950s influence of the Banner of Truth [Pedobaptist] men. It was, however, in the nineteenth century a term used to designate both the anti-missionary Primitive Baptists and the anti-missionary Campbellite movement, and as you know the latter was also anti-Calvinistic. The Campbellites were often referred to by Regular (Calvinistic) Baptists as "Reformers" and "Reformed Baptists." I can cite a number of historical examples of this. Even "Reformed Baptist" Samuel Waldron, in his book, Baptist Roots in America, in order to find a historical use of the term "Reformed Baptists" had to cite a Primitive Baptist example. >>

Keach was not a "Reformed Baptist," and no Baptist today who repudiates Reformed Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinism should refer to himself as "Reformed." It is a modern misnomer.

COMMENTS: Comment intended for the Flyswatter must be sent to this email address for posting: pilgrimpub@aol.com. Our Combox is not operable at this time.

Spurgeon v. Brister on Saving Faith

2009-07-24T23:01:00.006-04:00

FLOUNDER TIMMY BRISTER TRIES
TO HYBRIDIZE C. H. SPURGEON

C. H. Spurgeon said:
This new birth, this regeneration, is a great puzzle to many poor sinners.

Not only so, it seems to be a great puzzle to even Southern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate, Timmy Brister, of the "Founders Ministries." Brister perhaps was cheated in his education at Southern if he was lead to think that Spurgeon held to the Pedobaptist Hybrid form of Calvinism which teaches that sinners are "born again before they believe."

Long-time readers of the Flyswatter know that we have produced multitudinous material from Spurgeon in the Flyswatter Archives which demonstrates that he did not hold the Hybrid Calvinist theory.

Brister reveals in his palabber that he is a follower of Iain Murray who is one of the poorest interpreters of Spurgeon in the Pedobaptist camp, and Brister is simply spinning his wheels reading Murray as to Spurgeon's views.

Murray is the virtual "father" of the "Founders Movement" by virtue of his influence on Ernest Reisinger who absorbed Murray's Hybridism and made it the center-piece of the Flounders' thinking and purpose. In more recent years, Murray seems to have awakened to the fact that this form of "Calvinism" has not produced the type of evangelism and soul-winning which chacterized Spurgeon.

Spurgeon goes on:
One asks, “How can I make myself a new creature in Christ?” Of course, you can do nothing of the kind. This is a miracle; it is as much a work of God to make us children of light as it was to make light at the first. Only God can work this miracle; but mark you this, there never was a soul yet that truly believed in Christ, but at the same time it underwent the change called the new birth or regeneration.

Christians have often been asked about which is first, faith or regeneration, belief in Christ or being born again. I will tell you when you will answer me this question, -- When a wheel moves, which spoke moves first?

“Oh, they all start together!" say you.

So these other things all start together, whether it be the hub of the wheel, which is regeneration, or the spokes of the wheel, which are faith, and repentance, and hope, and love, and so on; when the wheel moves, it all moves at once. If thou believest in Jesus Christ and him crucified, in the moment that thou believest, this great change of nature is effected in thee; for faith has in itself a singularly transforming power.

It is a fact in everyday experience that, when a man comes to believe in his master, he becomes at once a better servant. A person whom I disliked, because I suspected him, becomes at once pleasing to me as soon as I trust him. So, faith towards God in itself produces a total change of mind in the man who has it. But, beside that, there goes with faith a divine energy which changes the heart of man. (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 41, page 235, Despised Light Withdrawn).

Spurgeon did indeed teach that there was a pre-faith work ("prevenient grace") done by the Word and Spirit in the sinner, but he did not call this the "new birth" or "regeneration," as if one is born again before he has experienced faith in Christ.Spurgeon said the sinner is "not saved" by the preceding or prevenient work before he is brought to "decision," or faith (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 11, Year 1865, pages 596, 597).

We have given many instances in past articles which demonstrate Spurgeon's view, and here is just one of those which very well refutes the attempts by those who would try to make a Hybrid Calvinist out of Spurgeon: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 37, Year 1891, pages 560, 561, The Law's Failure and Fulfillment:

"When we believe in Christ we not only receive pardon, but we also receive renewal. I am told that the teaching of certain people, nowadays, is that the believer only gets pardon to begin with and a long time afterwards he gets the clean heart. But I say, on the authority of God’s Word, that no man is pardoned unless he has a clean heart! God gives the clean heart at the time He gives the pardon! You must never divide the renewing of the Holy Spirit from the pardon of sin. They go together and he that receives the pardon of sin receives a new birth — and is made a new creature in Christ Jesus then and there. The work of regeneration and the act of faith which brings justification to the penitent sinner are SIMULTANEOUS and must, in the nature of the case, always be so."

Brister Defends "Hybridism"

2009-07-20T16:14:00.007-04:00

TIMMY BRISTER TRIES TO PROP-UP THE
HYBRID CALVINIST "PRE-FAITH" THEORY

Just when the Internet sources used by the Flounders (Tom Ascol, Timmy Brister) seemed to indicate that the Flounders might be distancing themselves from their long-standing "reforming" purpose and moving toward promotion of the "Great Commission Resurgence" advocated by Johnny Hunt and Danny Akin, here comes Flounder assistant, Brister, making a "whipping boy" of Morris Chapman with an extended defense of the Pedobaptist Hybrid Calvinist theory of "pre-faith regeneration" (born again before faith).

This theory, if judged by the lack of evangelism on the part of its advocates, would no doubt have a stiffling effect upon the Great Commission Resurgence.

The Calvinist Flyswatter has refuted this theory in many articles for more than three years. We have shown that "pre-faith regeneration" is the basic theory of Hardshellism and many of those who hold a post-17th century Pedobaptist theory advocated by Pedobaptist writers such as Shedd, Berkhof, Packer, Sproul, Frame, as well as some "Reformed" Baptist writers such as Nettles, Schreiner, James White and others.

Despite the fact that GCR leader Danny Akin's theology book, A Theology for the Church, contends for a different view on regeneration (pages 735-745), Brister flies in the face of Akin's book by alleging that one must be "regenerated" (born again) before he believes.

Dr. Akin's 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). See this link for more about the book -- SBC Seminary President Apparently Denies Hybrid Calvinist Heresy

Brister, perhaps, could have conceivably used his time and effort more profitably if he had engaged himself in that "church planting" effort which the Flounders claim they will do in E. Lee County, Florida . . . if they can spare the time away from conferences, twittering, and blogging.

ROSS-JACKSON DEBATE ONLINE

2009-07-09T13:13:00.002-04:00

VIDEOS OF MY DEBATE WITH
BILL JACKSON ON INTERNET

Here is an email I received from Larry Wessels, informing me that he has put the Bob L. Ross-Bill Jackson Debate on the Internet:

Bob,

It took me forever to get this page done but praise God it's done now. I'll be sending this e-mail to my whole e-mail list. Feel free to forward it to your list as well (that should give us some good advertising for your debate videos here).

Blessings,

Larry
1 Peter 3:15--- On Thu, 7/9/09, lawessels@sbcglobal.net

Hello Everyone,

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. As you know our ministry, Christian Answers of Austin, Texas/ Christian Debater (www.BibleQuery.org, www.HistoryCart.com, & www.MuslimHope.com) is an evangelism & apologetics outreach. Over the years we have done theological battle with about every religious view that opposes the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible. Unfortunately, virtually every cult and false religion uses the Bible in one way or another to support their own erroneous ideas about what the way of salvation is.

Besides battling Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Atheism, etc. we have done major battle with the current day followers of the "Restoration Movement" founded by Thomas & Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone & Walter Scott back in the early 1800s. Familiar are the names "Church of Christ," "Disciples of Christ," and "Christian Church" which have their origins in the "Restoration Movement." The rise of the cults such as Mormonism come out of this movement as well (download the above attachment for more information on that).

We have done numerous televised debates with "Church of Christ" representatives over the course of the years and I am pleased to announce that we have successfully uploaded some of that material to the internet. Perhaps we will eventually be able to upload all our available material in the future on this subject for those who need this information for evangelism and/or apologetic purposes.

The following is our postings on Yahoo Video & Youtube (you need high speed computer capacity to view these). The Yahoo Video presentations are the complete 1 hour broadcasts while the Youtube presentations are quick 10 minute shows highlighting the big 22 hour debate series on Yahoo Video.

This week long "Church of Christ" debate took place between Bob L. Ross, author of "Campbellism, Its History & Heresies," "The Restoration Movement," & "Acts 2:38 and Baptism Remission" and nationally known speaker & writer Bill Jackson of the Southwest Church of Christ of Austin, Texas.

The following are the url links for the "Church of Christ" Week Long Debate:

#1: Television "Memory Lane" Review
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5409277/14249518

#2: Introduction to Debate
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5410091/14251435

#3: Are Baptists Bad Guys?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5415196/14264164

#4: Campbellites, Baptists & Birdseed
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5415661/14265309

#5: Alex's "Restoration Pattern"
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5418219/14271540

#6: Plan of Salvation - Synecdoche?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5420946/14278327

#7: "Ancient Gospel" is Baptism?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5424029/14286436

#8: Baptism is the Plan of Salvation?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5426146/14291425

#9: "In Order To Obtain" Remission
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5426959/14293174

#10: Acts 2:38 & How Many Baptisms Needed?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5427215/14293762

#11: "Church" that Campbell Built
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5431910/14304811

#12: Tombstones & Campbellite History
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5432559/14306320

#13: Early Campbellites Had Beards
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5433998/14309768

#14: Millennial Harbinger & Calvinism
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5439134/14320915

#15: Obey "In Order To Obtain"
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5439457/14321390

#16: Jackson's "Church" Has President
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5439923/14322481

#17: Road Markers and Apostate Baptists
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5440241/14323199

#18: Point of Faith - Dead Before Baptism?
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5440423/14323592

#19: Mechanical Instruments & Obedience
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5443690/14330865

#20: "Greek" Texts & Past & Alien Sins
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5444083/14331979

#21: Ross & Wessels Review Major Points
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5444390/14332403

#22: Ross & Wessels Review Major Points
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5445584/14335094

Here are the urls for the 8 Youtube shorts concerning this same debate:

#1: Is the "Church of Christ" the Real Church? #1 (Introduction)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USLaAdzNWh4

#2: Is the "Church of Christ" the Real Church? #2 (Debate Highlights)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJZjXj7f08U

#3: Is the "Church of Christ" the Real Church? #3 (Video Highlights)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfhuIV4o0_o

#4: Is the "Church of Christ" the Real Church? #4 (Debate Highlights)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ4CgFccylg

#5: Is the "Church of Christ" the Real Church? #5 (Debate Highlights)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJm6B_Vet9k

#6: Is the "Church of Christ" the Real Church? #6 (Debate Highlights)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyg9OqXntsw

#7: Is the "Church of Christ" the Real Church? #7 (Debate Highlights)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akaPVQR6xFY

#8: Is the "Church of Christ" the Real Church? #8 (Campbellism)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-e7QZxXNk4

Feel free to utilize these videos for whatever Christian ministry purpose you may have in mind.

May the Lord bless you,

Larry Wessels
Director, Christian Answers of Austin, Texas/ Christian Debater
(www.BibleQuery.org, www.HistoryCart.com, & www.MuslimHope.com)

GARRETT DEBATE

2009-07-08T10:58:00.002-04:00

STEPHEN GARRETT ANNOUNCES
DEBATE WITH "CHURCH OF CHRIST"

Our friend Stephen Garrett has announced a forthcoming debate with a minister of the "Church of Christ" for two nights, August 13, 14.

Stephen is an experienced debater and has had several public encounters with ministers of the "Campbellite" sect.

Here are the details of the debate:

Debate Reminder
This is a reminder announcement for my upcoming summer debate with John R. Gentry of the "Church of Christ." John is the minister of a church in Galena, Indiana.

Debate in Monroe, N.C. at the location of Emmanuel Theological Seminary and Crossroads Baptist Church at 3300 N. Rocky River Road.

Thursday Night - August 13th, 2009
The Scriptures teach that water baptism is essential for the alien sinner to obtain the forgiveness of his past sins.

Affirm: Gentry
Deny: Garrett

Friday Night - August 14th, 2009
The Scriptures teach that the alien sinner is forgiven of his past sins by faith, before and without water baptism.

Affirm: Garrett
Deny: Gentry

For further information contact Stephen at his web site:
BaptistGadfly

Comments: To have your comments posted, submit them to:
pilgrimpub@aol.com

WHAT'S UP WITH THE FLOUNDERS?

2009-07-03T19:49:00.004-04:00

HAS THE FLOUNDERS' CHURCH
PLANTING STALLED IN THE GATE?

Last year, the Flounders [aka Founders, headed by Tom Ascol] announced that the home church, Grace Baptist in Cape Coral, was going to plant a church. Assistant Pastor Timmy Brister erected a website and gave the details of the plans.

From time-to-time, I have consulted the website to see what progress was being made. We were hopeful that the Flounders had at last developed an interest in doing something which resembled the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. But at this point in time, there has been no further report since late 2008 concerning any progress in establishing a church.

It seems that the Flounders have become diverted and are now enamored with "signing on" to Danny Akin's "Great Commission Resurgence," apparently neglecting the work which they had previously announced. As for Akin's GCR, that seems to be something which so far is still an item "on paper" rather than being an active outreach in practical evangelistic endeavor. There has even been some controversy about the GCR on the part of some in the Southern Baptist Convention, despite President Johnny Hunt's promotional efforts.

At any rate, we hope to see more practical progress in the GCR than has been evident in the efforts of the Flounders' leaders in starting a new church. If Johnny Hunt keeps up his efforts, we have reason to believe there will be some noticeable results in the GCR category. Johnny is a "go-getter" and is known for his zealous efforts in getting out the Gospel.

COMMENTS: To have your comments posted, send them to pilgrimpub@aol.com. Do not post them in the combox.

GARRETT'S 3RD ANNIVERSARY

2009-06-30T11:12:00.003-04:00

3rd Year Anniversary

It was in July of 2006 that I began this blog. Thus, I celebrate the completion of three years of the Baptist Gadfly.

I appreciate every reader who has visited and I covet the prayers of all as I continue with my theological writings.

Stephen Garrett
BaptistGadfly

The Sinner's Prayer

2009-06-13T14:00:00.002-04:00

THE SINNER'S PRAYER
By C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)

"And the publican, standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."—Luke 18:13.

Come just as thou art, with nothing of thine own, except thy sinfulness, and plead that before the throne—"God be merciful to me a sinner." This is what this man confessed, that he was a sinner, and he pleaded it, making the burden of his confession to be the matter of his plea before God. . . .

"But," says one, " do you think he knew for certain that all his sins were forgiven? Can a man know that?"

Certainly he can. And there be some here that can bear witness that this is true. They have known it themselves. The pardon which is sealed in heaven is re-sealed in our own conscience. The mercy which is recorded above is made to shed its light into the darkness of our hearts. Yes, a man may know on earth that his sins are forgiven, and may be as sure that he is a pardoned man as he is of his own existence.

And now I hear a cry from some one saying, "And may I be pardoned this morning? and may I know that I am pardoned? May I be so pardoned that all shall be forgotten—I who have been a drunkard, a swearer, or what not? May I have all my transgressions washed away? May I be made sure of heaven, and all that in a moment?"

Yes, my friend, If thou believest in the Lord Jesus Christ, if thou wilt stand where thou art, and just breathe this prayer out, "Lord, have mercy! God be merciful to me a sinner, through the blood of Christ."

I tell thee man, God never did deny that prayer yet; if it came out of honest lips he never shut the gates of mercy on it. It is a solemn litany that shall be used as long as time shall last, and it shall pierce the ears of God as long as there is a sinner to use it. Come, be not afraid, I beseech you, use the prayer before you leave this Hall.

Stand where you are; endeavor to realize that you are an alone, and if you feel that you are guilty. now let the prayer ascend. Oh, what a marvellous thing, it from the thousands of hearts here present, so many thousand prayers might go up to God! Surely the angels themselves never had such a day in Paradise, as they would have to-day, if every one of us could unfeignedly make that confession. Some are doing it; I know they are; God is helping them. And sinner, do you stay away? You, who have most need to come, do you refuse to join with us.

Come, brother, come. You say you are too vile. No, brother, you cannot be too vile to say, "God be merciful to me." Perhaps you are no viler than we are; at any rate, this we can say—we feel ourselves to be viler than you, and we want you to pray the same prayer that we have prayed. "Ah," says one, "I cannot; my heart won't yield to that; I cannot."

But friend, if God is ready to have mercy upon thee, thine must be a hard heart, if it is not ready to receive his mercy. Spirit of God, breathe on the hard heart, and melt it now! . . .

Let us use this prayer as our own now. Oh that it might come up before the Lord at this time as the earnest supplication of every heart in this assembly! I will repeat it,—not as a text, but as a prayer,—as my own prayer, as your prayer. Will each one of you take it personally for himself? Let everyone, I entreat you, who desires to offer the prayer, and can join in it, utter at its close an audible "Amen."

Let us pray,

"GOD-BE-MERCIFUL-TO-ME-A-SINNER."

[And the people did with deep solemnity say] "AMEN."

P.S.—The preacher hopes that he who reads will feel constrained most solemnly to do likewise.
***************
Excepts from C. H. Spurgeon's sermon, Confession and Absolution, New Park Street Pulpit, Volume 4, Year 1858, Sermon # 216, pages 409-416. On the Internet at Spurgeon Archive and Spurgeon's Gems.

Also see, Volume 33, sermon #1949 on Luke 18:13.

Marketing "Church Planting"

2009-05-28T13:23:00.006-04:00

THE MERCHANDIZING
OF "CHURCH PLANTING"?

Over the years, I have noticed how some ministers (and even others) seem to have the "know-how" to make merchandise out of various themes by means of conferences, seminars, etc. Themes such as marriage, prophecy, reformed theology, youth issues, finances, etc. etc. have been used so as to attract registration fees from people who have the time and are willing to pay to attend such affairs for whatever they get from them.

Timmy Brister, the sidekick of Pastor Tom Ascol, head of the Flounders (aka Founders Ministries), is an enthusiast for such conferences, and he is now promoting another "church planting" conference.

It seems that Timmy has become more or less an aficionado on "church planting" affairs/studies while very little seems to have been done to plant churches. For the past several months, Tom and Tim have been talking and twittering a lot about church planting, but if they have much to show for all their chatter, we are not aware of it. They know how to plant blogs, twitters, and conferences, but so far have not become known for planting churches.

The conference Timmy is now promoting costs from $365 to $500 for a first-time attendee. Price categories may be consulted at http://www.gca.cc/Seminar_Pricing.htm

It seems that some alleged "experts" -- such as Ed Stetzer -- are making a good living off "church planting" conferences, or at least supplementing their income to a great degree. Such conferences seem to be on the rise, and evidently "thar's gold in them thar hills."

Don't misunderstand -- we are not opposed to planting churches. We would just like to see some results of all the alleged training that fellows like Brister say they are getting. We have seen a few churches planted over the years, and I don't recall that they were planted as a result of "church planting" conferences where fees are paid to listen to the alleged "experts" on the matter.

COMMENTS: Send your comments to pilgrimpub@aol.com

Further Comment to Challies

2009-05-27T11:53:00.006-04:00

REPLY TO TIM CHALLIES:

In a message dated 5/26/2009 4:15:21 P.M. Central Daylight Time, tim@challies.com writes:

Bob, I don't think that's accurate. I believe the majority of my readers would be baptistic (albeit Reformed and baptistic). Tim

Dear Tim:

I took time this morning to do something I have never done before -- that is, I read the Comments on your blog about Lovett's book. I was impressed by several comments which seem to have a rather good perspective on witnessing, particularly those comments by "Victoria."

If truth were known, I think we might realize that a very great number of those who are critical of evangelistic methodology at certain points owe their own awakening or conversion to the efforts of witnesses who may not have used methods which pass muster with the current "Reformed" camp of thinking.

It is rather paradoxical that the man who first proposed establishing the Banner of Truth Trust, and whose wealth made the Banner of Truth Trust a publishing establishment, Mr. D. J. W. CULLUM, was himself converted in what would be viewed as an "altar" type circumstance. The Banner of Truth of July 1971, has a short bio of Mr. Cullum, a multi-millionaire, and it says that "it was while kneeling at a morning service in St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem on Christmas Day, that he received assurance of his salvation in Jesus Christ" (page 2, issue #93).

Ernest Reisinger, a disciple of anti-invitationist Iain Murray and the man who founded the "Reformed" Founders Ministries, even "prayed the prayer of the publican" on the occasion of his conversion (Ernest Reisinger, A Biography, page 20).

Sometime ago, I made a study of sorts of those who are authors of articles which critique "public invitations," the "sinner's prayer," etc., and to the extent that I could discover, the majority of them attribute their own conversion to methods which they now denounce. Some of those article are at this link -- http://writingsofbobross.tripod.com/1toc1.html

Again, Lovett's methodology is far less significant than those of the Reformed camp which practices infant baptism as its "evangelistic" method and alleges that infants born to Christians receive "regeneration" either before birth (per John Frame) or very soon after birth, per Shedd, Berkhof, Sproul, etc.

On the whole, I find the advocates of the Pedobaptist Reformed theology to be foremost in criticizing evangelistic methods of others while they make little to no effort at reaching the lost with any method whatsoever.

Bob L. Ross

COMMENTS: Send your comments to:

pilgrimpub@aol.com

Comment to Challies

2009-05-26T15:24:00.006-04:00

HERE'S A COMMENT I SENT
TO BLOGGER TIM CHALLIES

Tim Challies is highly esteemed as a blogger by the Pedobaptist Hybrid Reformed Calvinist camp (though Tim says he is "not a pedobaptist"). I seldom ever read Tim, so I don't know if he is as good as some seem to think. When I read a few things in the past, it was rather boring than interesting. But then, most stuff by Hybrid Calivinists is boring, isn't it? And Tim seems to be top-heavy on the so-called "Reformed" Hybrid Calvinist views which are about as boring as boring can get.

At any rate, I was referred to Tim's recent post in which he holds up C. S. Lovett's approach to Soul Winning for the amusement of the deadhead Hybrids who, for the most part, don't even make any soul winning efforts and manage to find fault with those who do. After all, when your babies get "born again" either before birth or very soon thereafter, as taught by the Hybrid Reformed Pedobaptists, who needs soul winning?

While Tim has inspired "hoots" from his audience in regard to C. S. Lovett, Tim and his cohorts in Hybrid Reformed thinking stand for many more ridiculous ideas than Lovett ever dreamed of.

Here's a comment I sent to Tim via email:

Dear Tim:

What evils you and others perceive in C. S. Lovett's Soul Winning book are miniscule in comparison to the evils perpetrated by the Pedobaptists in regard to the infant regeneration idea which has filled Pedobaptist churches and pulpits with unregenerates. Get the sawlog out of your own eye before you try to clean out Lovett's.

Bob L. Ross

COMMENTS: Send your comments to:
pilgrimpub@aol.com

Rapture in May?

2009-05-21T15:46:00.006-04:00

DID YOU MISS THE RAPTURE ON APRIL 15, 2009?
THEN LOOSEN YOUR SEATBELT FOR MAY 29, 2009

Some of you will probably remember our female acquaintance, Marilyn Agee, who predicted the Rapture in 1998. [see "Are You Ready for the Rapture '98" ]

Marilyn has evidently been making similar predictions ever since, although I must admit that my interest in keeping tabs on her calculations slumped considerably after she had several misses in 1998. I thought about her a few weeks ago, and checked on her website to see what she was currently predicting, and I discovered that we could expect the Rapture possibly on April 15.

I thought about that and was tempted not to file my Income Tax Return since it would be superfluous should I make the Rapture. But . . . on second thought . . . I cogitated that if Marilyn missed so many times in 1998, she might miss again . . . so I went ahead and filed the tax return. I did not think the IRS would accept the excuse that I was expecting the Rapture!

Now, today, I noticed that Marilyn seems to have deciphered that May 29 of 2009 could be the date for the snatching away of the saints. She says:

"If the 2300-day shortened Tribulation of Dan. 8:13,14 starts on Pentecost, May 29, 2009, the Rapture should take place before or on that day." http://prophecycorner.theforeverfamily.com/

Just thought you might like to be prepared . . . just in case Marilyn finally has figured out what Jesus and the Apostles did not know. Mark 13:32, Acts 1:7.

Garrett on the "Ordo Salutis"

2009-05-15T13:53:00.006-04:00

STEPHEN GARRETT PLANS BOOK
ON THE "ORDO SALUTIS"

Stephen Garrett at the BaptistGadfly writes from a creedal Calvinist perspective, which is a contrast to what passes in our time as "Reformed Calvinism" which is generally characterized by the post-Reformation "born again before faith" notion developed by Pedobaptists who contended that their "covenant children" get "regenerated" either before or soon after their physical birth.

Stephen says:

The Ordo Salutis Debate

This is the title of a book I am desirous of completing. I already have lots of research materials collected for such a work and plan to work on it in the months ahead. I desire that the book cover the debate from both an historical and biblical perspective.

I also contemplate having a large section that deals with whether regeneration precedes justification or vice versa. I believe one of the consequences of the "born again before faith" error is that it puts regeneration before justification, which has been the historical position of the Roman Catholic Church. Those "Reformed" and "Hyper Calvinists" who put regeneration before justification have taken, ironically, the position of Rome.

I continue to work, as time permits, on my second volume of "The Hardshell Baptist Cult." I am also preparing for an upcoming debate this summer. So, my "plate is full."

I appreciate all the readers here and their comments. I am nearing my three year anniversary here for the Gadfly (July) and am thankful for the opportunity of having this format to write on Christian doctrine. Your prayers are coveted.

See more of Stephen's materials at the BaptistGadfly.

BAPTISTS

2009-05-13T12:21:00.002-04:00

C. H. SPURGEON
ON THE BAPTISTS

I will now address myself specially to those who are known as Baptists. As for us, the baptized followers of Christ, our ancestry as a body of Christian men is not to be despised. Albeit that the name of Anabaptist has been made the football of reproach because it was wrongfully associated with fanatical opinions, we may rest assured that the more history is understood, the more apparent will it be that those who were the most humiliated were thus treated because they were before their times. They bore the brunt of battle because they led the way!

God forbid that I should induce you to glory in them and so to wear borrowed laurels! Of all pride, I think that to be the most idle which hides its own nakedness beneath the tattered banners of ancestry. I do but dwell for a moment upon our past history to excite you to yet more earnest deeds! Prove yourselves to be these men’s sons by doing their deeds! Otherwise you are bastards and not sons.

In every effort for civil and religious liberty, our fathers were at the front! In the utterance of those Divine Truths of God which have made tyrants and priests quake for fear, they have been among the boldest! Our fathers, for holding to Baptism as the Lord ordained it, suffered at the hands of men who knew no mercy.

Read the rest of the message at www.Spurgeongems.org

Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Year 1875, Volume 21:
THE UNBROKEN LINE OF TRUE NOBLES, No. 1260.

Hypers - Antinomians

2009-05-04T15:32:00.002-04:00

MORE FROM STEPHEN GARRETT

Brother Stephen Garrett at the BaptistGadfly has some more enlightening materials which deal with the following themes:

Antinomianism & Hyper Calvinism
New Basis Brethren

Stephen demonstrates that Hyperism and Antinominianism are in fact essentially the same, especially when it comes to the use of "means in regeneration."

COMMENTS for The Calvinist Flyswatter must be sent to:
pilgrimpub@aol.com

A. Carson on the New Birth

2009-04-25T11:37:00.007-04:00

ALEXANDER CARSON ON THE USE
OF THE GOSPEL IN THE NEW BIRTH

Brother Stephen Garrett at the BaptistGadfly continues to bless us with his unearthing of great men of the past who held the Baptist view that men are born again by the Spirit's blessing upon the Gospel in contrast to the Pedobaptist Reformed theory that "regeneration precedes faith."

Such a man was Alexander Carson (1776-1844), a Presbyterian minister who left the Pedobaptist camp and became a Baptist. Stephen Garrett has a couple of recent posts which demonstrate Carson's affirmation of the Gospel in the New Birth:

The great Baptist apologist, Dr. Alexander Carson, wrote the following words in his famous book - "Baptism in its Mode and Subjects." They show that he did not believe the "born again before faith" error.

Read the materials presented by Stephen on the BaptistGadlfy.

COMMENTS: Send all comments for The Calvinist Flyswatter to:
pilgrimpub@aol.com

"New Divinity" or "Hopkinsianism."

2009-04-17T15:19:00.002-04:00

"NEW DIVINITY" EXPOSED
BY STEPHEN GARRETT

Stephen Garrett's research has unearthed more background on the "born again before faith" idea of some modern Calvinists. This is material we have not seen before, and I found it quite enlightening. Read the first paragraph, then go to the Baptist Gadfly for the rest of it. -- Bob L. Ross

NEW DIVINITY

It has been the contention of Bob Ross and myself that the idea that regeneration occurs prior to and without faith, and that conversion and regeneration are separate and distinct experiences, is not the original view of the first Calvinists and Reformers, but was a later invention by 18th and 19th century neo Calvinists. This later hybrid or novel invention is part of what historians of Calvinism properly call the "New Divinity." The following work by an able historian demonstrates that the view of the "hybrids" is a novel doctrine among Calvinists, a "New Divinity." The following citations are from "Theology in America: Christian Thought from the Age of the Puritans to the Civil War" by E. Brooks Holifield. This "New Divinity" is also sometimes called "Hopkinsianism."

Read the rest of this article at BaptistGadfly.

What kind of "church plant"?

2009-04-11T11:18:00.007-04:00

THE FLOUNDERS AND THEIR
"BAPBYTERIAN" CHURCH PLANT

Brother Ian Elsasser of our other blog, the Reformed Flyswatter, has been keeping tabs on the "Founders" blogs in regard to their proposed "church plant." Ian observes:

Timmy Brister [of the "Founders Ministries" headed by Tom Ascol] has recommended two Presbyterian resources over the last two days. Yesterday he recommended a podcast interview with the pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and today he revealed that the Acts Bible Study he has been conducting with Grace Church plant core group is developed by Tim Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. This is not unusual since he tends to recommend resources that are non-Baptistic (remember the recommended books [by Pedobaptists] on evangelism he gave?). It says much about his and Grace Baptist Church's (aka Founders) preferences. -- Ian Elsasser.

Bob's Comment:

For the past three years, this blog has noted that the consistent pattern of the "Flounders" is "Bapbyterian" in character, a persona imbibed from the founder of the Flounders, Ernest Reisinger. Reisinger combined his obsession with Presbyterianism with the Baptist view on baptism, and this has comprised the "Reformed" ecclesiology-soteriology of the Flounders' movement ever since.

Brister is helping to perpetuate this new-fangled Hybrid among those who are the successors of Reisinger, headed by Pastor Tom Ascol of Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida and his associates in the Flounders' parasitical organization. The obvious kind of "church plant" which Brister and Ascol are attempting to develope is of the "Bapbyterian" hybrid variety which tends to put their version of "Calvinism" first and everything else -- including evangelism -- secondary.

Predictably, if and when this "church plant" comes to fruition, it will consequently be just another Hybrid Calvinist entity, dead at the root in regard to soul-winning and evangelism.

Comments: Send all comments to pilgrimpub@aol.com

6th anniversary of translating Spurgeon

2009-04-10T11:17:00.004-04:00

SPANISH TRANSLATION OF SPURGEON'S SERMONS

The following is from Allan Roman, Spanish translator in Mexico City, via Emmett O'Donnell here in Texas, who is putting Spurgeon's sermons on the web at http://www.spurgeongems.org/

April 10, 2009

Well, Brother Emmett,

Six years ago today Brother Bob Ross announced the "birth" of your site on the world wide web.

[See the rest of the post at the Reformed Flywatter.]

Stephen Garrett on Hyperism

2009-04-08T11:12:00.004-04:00

HYPERISM & FALSE DICHOTOMY

By Stephen Garrett

Conversion, says the "Reformed" or "Hybrid" ("Hyper") Calvinist, is the act of the regenerated sinner, but regeneration is the act of God. He thus makes both conversion and regeneration to be either an act of God or of a sinner, regenerate or unregenerate, and excludes the idea that they can be both.

The logic of these misguided Calvinists has led them to make distinctions where they ought not, and to make a thing an "either or" case when they ought not.

[For the rest of this article and other recent posts by Stephen Garrett, go to BaptistGadfly]

Hyperism & False Dichotomy
KJV-only Claims
Profiting From Bible Reading
Defining Hyper Calvinism
Farstad on NIV
Akin on the Ordo Salutis
Norris & KJV-only Claims
Spurgeon's Conversion
Effects of Hyper Calvinism
We Can Trust God

Akin to speak for Founders

2009-04-06T12:35:00.006-04:00

DR. DANNY AKIN TO SPEAK AT
FOUNDERS' BREAKFAST AT SBC

The annual Southern Baptist Convention is meeting in Louisville, Kentucky this June, and the "Founders Breakfast" which "piggy-backs" the SBC has invited Dr. Danny Akin of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to be the guest speaker.

I don't know if this is a step forward for the Flounders, or a step backwards for Dr. Akin. The Flounders are committed to a different theology on regeneration than Dr. Akin has published in his book, A Theology for the Church. Also, Dr. Akin endorses the use of "public invitations" whereas Tom Ascol and his Flounders' associates follow the lead of Flounders' founder Ernest Reisinger and Flounders' godfather Iain Murray in repudiating the use of public invitations.

It is understandable that the Flounders eagerly welcome an enhancing association with Dr. Akin inasmuch as the Flounders are apparently struggling to maintain their pretentious identity as being the self-proclaimed representative of the founders of Southern Baptists. Their promotion of Pedobaptist (baby baptizer) Hybrid Calvinist theology on the New Birth and Reformed ecclesiology have not enhanced the Flounders' image with Baptists.

The Flounders have become better known as promoters of the Pedobaptist elements rather than for engaging in the Great Commission which Dr. Akin has been emphasizing of late. The Flounders have always been a non-evangelistic, non-church establishing, proselytizing entity, devoted rather to their version of "reform" and the advocacy of the "doctrines of grace" (Hybrid Calvinist Reformed version).

It is rather paradoxical that Dr. Akin is associating with the Flounders inasmuch as Dr. Akin is seeking to promote a Great Commission Resurgence whereas the Flounders have always been devoted to the peculiar mission of "reforming" churches toward a Reformed theological emphasis which has proven itself to be non-Great Commission in its "ministry" since its beginning in 1982.

Perhaps Dr. Akin presumes that he may be able to help resurrect the Flounders from their relatively dead state as to evangelism and arouse them to the purpose of the church as found in our Lord's Commission. If this is the case, then we can only wish him "Good Luck."

COMMENTS: Do not post in the combox. Send your comments for posting on the Flyswatter to pilgrimpub@aol.com

No "Founders" national conference for '09

2009-04-03T15:23:00.009-04:00

No National Founders Conference in 2009

That is the headline on Flounder-in-Chief Tom Ascol's blog for today. Tom gives some "reasons," none of which we would have suspected to be the basic reason.

When the "Founders" was hatched by Ernest Reisinger and a few of his associates in 1982, the primary feature was a "national" conference designed to popularize the "doctrines of grace" per the modern "Reformed" version. This emphasis has been so prevalent across time that it has "worn thin" as an attraction to people other than those who have recently become infatuated with the Flounders' theology.

Also, the Flounders have 28 other regional meetings and fraternals, and these meetings would most likely tend to detract some of the lustre off the national conference. The 2008 national conference was reportedly rather sparsely attended, which one attendant estimated as less than a hundred registrants.

At any rate, this could be a step "forward" for the Flounders, for the less emphasis on "conferences" the more that time and money can be devoted to the true mission of the church -- the winning of the lost and the establishment of churches. Ascol has been talking about "church planting" for a couple of years or so; perhaps it has dawned upon him that "conferences" do not win souls and establish churches.

COMMENTS: Do not post in the combox. Send your comments for posting on the Flyswatter to pilgrimpub@aol.com

Works of Stephen Garrett

2009-04-02T10:13:00.007-04:00

THE RESEARCH WORK OF
STEPHEN GARRETT

I just can't say enough in commendation of the tremendous and valuable research work done by the former "Hardshell" minister, Stephen Garrett at the BaptistGadfly.

I measure my words when I say that no writer with whom I am acquainted has done more to plough-up the "Hardshell" heresies and erroneous scriptural interpretations.

This is especially true in regard to the fallacy of "regeneration precedes faith," or "born again before, without, and apart from faith," a favorite hobby-horse of the modern Pedobaptist Reformed camp, the falsely so-called monergists, and other Hybrid Calvinists. This includes the likes of R. C. Sproul, Iain Murray, Ernest Reisinger, James White, some teachers at Southern Seminary (Louisville), Tom and Bill Ascol, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, and many of the Internet websites which are devoted to a hybrid form of "Calvinism" in contrast to the creeds and confessions of faith.

Surely, Stephen has come to the kingdom "for such a time as this" when Hybrid, Hyper, Ultra, and Pseudo "Calvinism" is rampant on blogs and websites.

Not only so, but Stephen is also an expert on "Campbellism," and has conducted quite a number of Public Debates with some of the representatives of this "twin" of Hardshellism, both born from the same "womb" of Pedobaptist Hyper Calvinism. Though diverse, these two 19th century (1830's) movements represent two aberrant extremes in departing from the creedal view of the Gospel in relation to the New Birth -- the Hardshells teaching the "Spirit Alone" heresy and the Campbellites teaching the "Word Alone" heresy.

A few years ago, it was my privilege to appear with Stephen and Larry Wessels on Larry's "Christian Answers of Austin, Texas" to do a series of TV programs on "Hardshellism." I never fail to learn from Stephen, especially in view of his many years of affiliation with the "Primitive Baptist Church" (Hardshells).

If you are interested in either or both of these, you will find no better source for evaluating and refuting them than from the writings which Stephen Garrett has erected on the BaptistGadfly.

COMMENTS: Do not post in the combox. Send your comments for posting on the Flyswatter to pilgrimpub@aol.com

Spurgeon & "Ordo Salutis"

2009-03-31T13:34:00.003-04:00

STEPHEN GARRETT OFFERS MORE
RESEARCH ON SPURGEON'S VIEW

Stephen Garrett at BaptistGadfly has a very interesting item which reveals how C. H. Spurgeon made use of a book by a contemporary writer who held the creedal view on the New Birth in contrast to the "born again before faith" view of modern Reformed writers. Stephen says:

An old book, "A handbook of revealed theology," published in 1861 by John Stock, had a chapter on the "new birth," and was a book recommended by Spurgeon. Before I cite from that chapter, let me first cite from the words of Spurgeon. He wrote:

For the rest of the article, go to BaptistGadfly.

Also, check out Stephen's other most recent articles:

Webster on Gill's Hyperism
Owen - Regeneration is Salvation
Spurgeon on Faith III
The Faith Experience
Good Book on Regeneration
Facts About KJV
Fuller vs. Booth
Spurgeon on Faith II
Spurgeon on Faith

Spurgeon on New Birth

2009-03-27T21:18:00.002-04:00

SPURGEON ON BORN AGAIN
BY FAITH by Stephen Garrett

"This change is often described as a birth. See the third chapter of the Gospel of John, which is wonderfully clear and to the point: 'Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.' This birth is not a birth by baptism, for it is spoken of as accompanied by an intelligent faith which receives the Lord Jesus.

"Turn to John 1:12, 13: 'But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name: which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' So that believers are 'born again' and receive Christ through faith: a regeneration imparted in infancy and lying dormant in unbelievers is a fiction unknown to Holy Scripture."

This is very clear. Those who say that Spurgeon never affirmed that faith preceded regeneration, or opposed the idea, should recant after reading these words. He plainly says that believers are "born again through faith" and "receive Christ by faith."

For the rest of the post, go to BaptistGadfly

Dog pound in Enid?

2009-03-21T20:55:00.005-04:00

THE LATEST POSTS ON THE
REFORMED FLYSWATTER

You may be interested in some items on the Reformed Flyswatter about Wade Burleson and Ingrid Schlueter:

Wade's barking dogs
Enid's "Watchdog" branch kennel
A Slice of Schlueter
Smyth & Helwys' "Disclaimer"
Reformed fiction
New light on history from Enid?

Out of Town Monday, March 23, 2009

Preaching to "dead sinners"

2009-03-20T12:15:00.009-04:00

SPURGEON PREACHED TO "DEAD" SINNERS
AND EXPECTED THEM TO RESPOND

James White, who like Diotrephes desires preeminence (3 John 9), has alleged that "Spurgeon was not infallible," but we venture to say that Spurgeon's preaching makes James' so-called "defense of the faith" look like "Ned in the First Reader."

A lady from Beaumont, Texas -- a good friend of ours who is married to a good friend of ours -- took it upon herself a while back to read all of Spurgeon's sermons! She is now nearly thru with Volume 20, 1874. As she reads, she is making notations, and sometimes she passes very significant references along to us. Here's a selection which she referred to me recently. James White, with his "born again before faith" heresy, will most likely find fault with Spurgeon on this, also.

C. H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 20, Sermon No. 1200, pages 610, 611:

“Go you,” He said, “you fishermen, go and teach all nations.” Carnal reason’s criticism on this is that it is a feeble method to be worked out by feebler instruments!

Now let it be noted that the work of preaching the Gospel, which is Christ’s way of using His power among men, is based only upon His having that power. Listen to some of my Brethren—they say, “You must not preach the Gospel to a dead sinner because the sinner has no power.”

Just so, but our reason for preaching to him is that all power is given unto Jesus—and He bids us preach the Gospel to every creature! “But when you tell a sinner to believe, you have not the power to make him believe.”

Truly so, nor do we dream that we have, for all power lies in Christ! There is neither in the sinner the power to believe, nor in the preacher power to make him believe—all power is in our Lord! “But do you think,” they ask, “that your persuasions will ever make a man repent and believe?”

Certainly not! The power that leads men to repent and believe does not lie in rhetoric or in reason, or in persuasion, but in Him who says, “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth.”

I tell you this—if my Lord and Master should bid me go tomorrow to Norwood Cemetery [where CHS is buried] and bid the dead to rise, I would do it with as much pleasure as I now preach the Gospel to this congregation! And I would do it for the same reason which now leads me to urge the unregenerate to repent and be converted, for I regard men as being dead in sin, and yet I tell them to live because my Master commands me do so! That I am right in thus acting is proved by the fact that while I am preaching, sinners do live! Blessed be His name, thousands of them have been quickened into life!

Ezekiel had to cry, “You dry bones, live.” What a foolish thing to say! But God justified His servant in it and an exceedingly great army stood upon their feet in what was once a large morgue.

Joshua’s men were bid to blow their trumpets around Jericho—a most absurd thing to blow a trumpet to fetch city walls down—but they came down for all that!

Gideon’s men were told to simply carry lamps within their pitchers, to break their pitchers and stand still and cry aloud, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon” — a most ridiculous thing to hope by this means to smite the Midianites—but they were smitten! God never sends His servants on a fool’s errand!

It pleases God by the foolishness of preaching to accomplish His Divine purposes — not because of the power of preaching, nor the power of the preacher, nor any power in those preached to — but because “all power” is given unto Christ “in Heaven and in earth”—and He chooses to work by the teaching of the Word!

Our business, then, is just this. We are to teach, or as the Greek word has it, to make disciples. Our business is, each one according to the Divine Grace given, to tell our fellow men the Gospel and to try and disciple them to Jesus. When they become disciples, our next duty is to give them the sign of discipleship by “baptizing them.” That symbolic burial sets forth their death in Jesus to their former selves and their resurrection to newness of life through Him. Baptism enrolls and seals the disciples—and we must not omit or misplace it.

When the disciple is enrolled, the missionary is to become the pastor, “teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you.” The disciple is admitted into the school by obeying the Savior’s command as to Baptism—then he goes on to learn—and as he learns he teaches others. He is taught obedience, not to some things, but to all things which Christ has commanded. He is put into the Church, not to become a legislator or a deviser of new doctrines and ceremonies, but to believe what Christ tells him and to do what Christ bids him.

Thus our Lord intends to set up a kingdom which shall break in pieces every other. Those who know Him are to teach others and so, from one to the other, the wondrous power which Christ brought from Heaven shall spread from land to land.

See, then, my Brothers, your high calling. And see, also, the support you have in pursuing it! In the front,behold “all power” going forth from Christ! In the rear, behold the Lord Himself — “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

If you are enlisted in this army, I charge you be faithful to your great Captain! Do His work carefully in the way which He has prescribed for you and expect to see His power displayed to His own Glory.

****************************************************************************

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Christian Classics

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Spurgeon sermons in SPANISH

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Spurgeon's Devotionals

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CHS' Sermons on CD / Cassette

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Sermons & Works of Spurgeon

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"White Lightning" Strikes Again

2009-03-19T00:56:00.010-04:00

JAMES "THE EXEGEETER" WHITE
ON CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

Surprise! Surprise!

The redoutbable appallingist, James White, of the "JAMES WHITE 'BORN AGAIN BEFORE FAITH' WHITE LIGHTNING DISTILLERY & MFG. CO., PHOENIX AZ" has made the remarkable assertion that "Spurgeon was not infallible"!!

Can you imagine that? Spurgeon . . . not infallible? Who would have ever thunk it!

And why the discovery of this so late in time, over a hundred years after the death of the hitherto "infallible" Legend? What accounts for this ignorance for so long a period of time? Will this discovery go down in Christian history in the same category as Luther's discovery that the just shall live by faith? or perhaps the discovery of Greek manuscripts since the King James Version? or even the location of Noah's Ark?

And on what basis does the brewer of the "White Lightning" mash which says that the elect get born again before, without, and apart from faith make this amazing and astounding proclamation? Why, on the same basis as usual -- Spurgeon's view does not pass James' "exegeet'n" measuring rod.

According to James' patent S. O. P., Spurgeon held a view on a Scripture text with which James dogmatically disagrees; therefore, Spurgeon has fallen from the ranks of presumed infallibility.

James declares in so many words and in his usual "exegeetive" mode of operation, that he has no doubt that he is right and Spurgeon is wrong. His words are, "They cannot document errors in what I have said about the context, the meaning of words, etc. They can only say, 'Well, you could also understand it this way....' That my interpretation is fair, contextual, and consistent, seems to be acknowledged."

There you have it -- the conclusive proof from the White Lightning Distillery itself that James is right and Spurgeon was wrong!

Does James care to debate the matter? I doubt it.

So . . . what else is new at the White Lightning Distillery?

Will wonders never cease?

COMMENTS: All comments for posting must be addressed to this email:

pilgrimpub@aol.com

Garrett nails Sproul disciple

2009-03-17T17:30:00.011-04:00

STEPHEN GARRETT "NAILS"
DUNCAN'S "HIDE TO THE WALL"

Ligon Duncan is tight with Pedo Hybrid Calvinist advocate, R. C. Sproul, who claims that the "elect" get "born again before faith," even when they are in infancy. We have exposed Sproul a few times on the Flyswatter and in articles at this web site HERE.

Now, Brother Stephen Garrett, has exposed the "regeneration before faith" heresy of Sproul's protege.

I myself had a brief exchange with Duncan a few years ago when I objected to the "born again before faith" heresy promulgated by Sproul. Stephen's current blog begins --

#1 Answer Ligon's Comments
#2 Citations from Calvin
#3 Calvin - Faith & John's Gospel

I received the following comment from Ligon Duncan regarding my review of his writings on regeneration preceding faith. Here is what he wrote:

"I am looking forward to seeing your citations from Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, et al on this, Mr. Garrett. More importantly, I am looking forward to reading your Scriptural case for your views," etc.

Read how Stephen "nails the hide" of Duncan to the wall at this blog site:

BaptistGadfly

"Hardball Publisher"?

2009-03-16T12:22:00.002-04:00

It's Official: Wade's Publisher Won't Send
a Copy of the Book for Review Purposes

That's right . . . I received an email today from P. K. Gammons, VP of Smyth & Helwys Publishers informing me that I will not be sent a digital copy of Wade Burleson's forthcoming book, Hardball Religion, for review.

Gammons had offered me a digital copy of the book several days ago, and at the time I turned him down. Later, I realized that in writing a review for this blog, it would be more convenient to have a digital copy to facilitate copying any material to be quoted; therefore, I notified Gammons that I would like to have the digital copy.

Now, however, it seems to be too late. I have "missed the boat." I have "crossed the deadline" . . . "the day of grace is over."

For the rest of the story, go to the Reformed Flyswatter.

Stephen Garrett on Calvin's view

2009-03-14T23:24:00.005-04:00

JOHN CALVIN ON REGENERATION
IN RELATION TO FAITH

Our brother at the Baptist Gadfly, Stephen Garrett, continues to call attention to sources which are contrary to the modern Pedobaptist Reformed Hybrid Calvinism view that one is "born again before faith."

In his latest, he concentrates on John Calvin's view.

Stephen writes:

I have cited numerous quotations from John Calvin to show that he did not believe that regeneration preceded faith. Those who insist that this is the view of the first Calvinist reformers are in error and are generally unwilling to acknowledge their error even when shown the proof of it. Clearly, as one can see from this citation, John Calvin did not put regeneration before faith. Calvin put faith before repentance and regeneration and he did not become Arminian in doing so. He did not relinguish a view in "total depravity" or a belief that faith was the gift of God.

For the rest of Stephen's article, go to BaptistGadfly.

Note: On the Reformed Flyswatter, read about Pastor Wade Burleson's Hybrid Calvinism.

Comments for the Calvinist Flyswatter should be sent to pilgrimpub@aol.com, or you may post on the Reformed Flyswatter.

Exchanges with Burleson

2009-03-13T18:06:00.004-04:00

ON THE REFORMED FLYSWATTER,
READ THE EXCHANGES WITH BURLESON

There are some exchanges between Wade Burleson and Bob L. Ross on the Reformed Flyswatter blog which you may find of interest.

Go to REFORMED FLYSWATTER.

Burleson -- A Landmarker?

2009-03-11T13:54:00.003-04:00

See the article on Wade Burleson at the
Reformed Flyswatter.

A nice comment received by email at
pilgrimpub@aol.com

Thanks, Bro. Bob,

Your writings years ago on the Churches of Christ helped me tremendously. It helped open the eyes of a number of folks. I came out of this movement and witnessed with others including their ministers.

I also have purchased all of the Spurgeon Hard Copies of His sermons and a good no. of other books by Spurgeon from you.

Thanks for great publishing.

Terry

Cooperation, Burleson style?

2009-03-10T16:37:00.003-04:00

LATEST POST ON THE
REFORMED FLYSWATTER

You may wish to read my post on the Reformed Flyswatter which discusses Pastor Wade Burleson's concept on "cooperation" in the Southern Baptist Convention:

Cooperation, Burleson style?
Wade Burleson Believes in Cooperation in the SBC

Reformed Flyswatter changes

2009-03-05T23:06:00.004-05:00

IMPROVEMENT MADE TO THE
REFORMED FLYSWATTER BLOG

Thanks to Ian and Andrea Elsasser, our new blog, Reformed Flyswatter, has been much-improved in its appearance and features. I am deeply grateful for the assistance of the Elsassers, and we look forward to the future of the blog.

In an earlier article (below), we listed several of the items on the blog which Calvinist Flyswatter readers will probably find of interest -- that is, if you have interest in the type of material on the CF.

On the Reformed Flyswatter, you may submit comments in the combox. On this site, due to the absence of the Administrator, Charles, comments must be sent to this email address -- pilgrimpub@aol.com

Reformed Flyswatter links

2009-03-04T12:03:00.004-05:00

IF YOU HAVE NOT VISITED THE
REFORMED FLYSWATTER . . .

Click these Recent Posts:

Tale of Reformed statistics
Dr. Mohler's "triage"
Changes
Welcome, Ian!
Reisinger's compromise with Pedos
Hybridism's abuse of terms
Spurgeon's non-Reformed likeness
Spurgeon versus Hyperism
Piper vs Hybrids?
Sproul's influence
Sproul's error
Dr. Dagg vs Wade Burleson
"Classical Calvinism"?

Comments:
Send comments for Calvinist Flyswatter to:
pilgrimpub@aol.com

Atonement illustrated by Jesus

2009-03-03T17:23:00.004-05:00

JESUS ILLUSTRATED THE
EXTENT OF ATONEMENT

So far as I can find, Jesus used only one illustration from the Old Testament of His Atonement and its efficient, ultimate, saving extent.

That illustration is in Numbers 21 and is applied by Jesus in John 3:14, 15. It is the Brazen Serpent.

After the people were bitten by serpents, Moses was told to make a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole. "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live" (Numbers 21:8).

John 3:14, 15 -- "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

The lifting up of the Brazen Serpent was available to each and every living person who had been bitten. But no one was healed unless the bitten person looked upon the Brazen Serpent.

The obvious parallel in this illustration apparently is that the death of Christ is available to each and every person, but it does not save unless the person believes.

The controversy between theological camps in regard to limited or unlimited Atonement might be resolved to everyone's satisfaction if this one illustration used by Jesus were taken more seriously. At least both camps would probably find agreement that, like the healing in Numbers 21 was for those who looked to the serpent, salvation by the death of Christ is experienced by those who respond to the message to "Look and live."

I would not debate for one minute about the extent of the Atonement, for the "bottom line" is simply this: "Whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:15, 16).

SPURGEON: "The remedy of the bitten Israelites was a bronze serpent. And the remedy for sinners is Christ crucified. . . . For remember the bronze serpent was lifted up that everyone in the camp who was bitten might live. And now Christ is lifted up to you that 'whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.' Sinner, the devil says you are shut out. Tell him that 'whosoever' shuts out none. Oh that precious word, 'whosoever'! . . . —'Whosoever.' I use broad words that I may take a broad range and sweep the whole universe of sinners through—whosoever looks to Christ shall live." -- C. H. Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 3, pages 367, 371)

Note to Wade Burleson; "The infant who dies in infancy" does believe, Wade . . . when he passes into the presence of Christ. Otherwise, you have a person saved in Heaven without faith in Christ.

"It seems most probable," says A. H. Strong, "that the work of regeneration may be performed by the Spirit in connection with the infant soul's first view of Christ in the other world" (Systematic Theology, page 663).

That may be regarded as speculative thinking on Strong's part, but it is far better than Wade's comment, "The infant who dies in infancy never believes."

If Wade merely has in mind the infant who does not believe before death, then does he agree that the infant becomes a believer in eternity, as Strong states? Or, does the infant remain in unbelief throughout eternity?

Comments: Do not use the combox, but --
Send all comments for posting to: pilgrimpub@aol.com

Decision?

2009-03-02T21:43:00.003-05:00

IF YOU ARE SAVED, DID YOU
MAKE A "DECISION"?

A short while ago, we carried an article which demonstrated that C. H. Spurgeon was in the habit of pressing upon his hearers the necessity of making a "decision" to accept Christ.

Frequently, we notice that some of the sooper-dooper Calvinists of the "Hybrid Calvinist" variety work-up a lot of lather in their mouths preaching against what they denominate "decisional regeneration." This charade is just so much phony-baloney. I came across a video of a fellow named "Washer" who was spinning this line at a Conference in Georgia, and he reminded me of some of the TV hawkers whose commercials are quite convincing in peddling snake-oil for all that ails you.

The fact is, in the real world, no one is regenerated because of, on account of, or due to any type of "decision" as being either the instrumental cause or efficient cause of regeneration.

The instrumental cause of regeneration is the Word of God, and the efficient cause of regeneration is the Holy Spirit. In other words, no man regenerates himself.

At the same time, however, no one is ever regenerated apart from being brought by the Word and Spirit to a decision.

The Word of God is a convicting instrumentality, applied by the Spirit, and it brings a sinner to choose repentance from sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.

When you hear a Hybrid Calvinist bellowing, complaining, excoriating, spitting fire, or otherwise down-grading the matter of deciding for Christ, most likely you can just mark him off as one who has found a gimmick by which he can make a living in the pulpit and impress other Hybrid Calvinists of his deep spiritual insights.

Most likely, as with most all of the anti-invitation Hybrids, he was converted in just such circumstances as he is now preaching against!

COMMENTS: Send all comments to be posted to: pilgrimpub@aol.com

Founders' "party line"

2009-02-28T21:36:00.005-05:00

THE "PARTY LINE" OF THE FOUNDERS
AS ELABORATED BY TOM ASCOL

Note: The following is another item from Ian Elsasser who is once again demonstrating from the Flounders themselves that their "purpose" has never been a fulfilling of the Great Commission in winning lost souls and establishing churches, but rather the promotion of "Reformed" theology (Hybrid Calvinism).

Ian:
I came upon a Founders Journal article by Tom Ascol titled "Southern Baptists at the Crossroads: Returning to the Old Paths." This article pretty much reiterates Founder Ernest Reisinger's convictions that the SBC needs to embrace Reformed theology or the Founders' Calvinism to remedy the existent problems in the convention and its churches.

In pointing out that the problems (viz. meaningless membership and moral relativism) are "symptoms of deeper difficulties" and that the root of the problem is in the area of "sound doctrine," Ascol says that it was not just any doctrine but was Reformed or Calvinistic doctrine:

"Call it what you will -- Calvinism, reformed theology, the doctrines of grace -- these truths are nothing less than historic Southern Baptist orthodoxy. This is the theology which gave rise to the formation and early development of the great missionary and evangelistic enterprise which we know as the Southern Baptist Convention. This is what our forefathers believed to be the true teaching of Scripture. These are the doctrines on which they built their churches and which undergirded their ministries. And if these doctrines were true then, they are still true today, because the Bible has not changed, God has not changed, and truth does not change.

"If we hope to see a renewal in our churches (how we live), then we must be willing to seek a renewal in our theology (what we believe). Our doctrinal heritage can be very helpful as it challenges our thinking and points us forward into a renewed understanding of God's Holy Word."

If Ascol and Founders Ministries still believe this to be the case, then we must conclude that their purpose remains unchanged: to make churches Reformed. In the words of the Founders Ministries' Purpose statement:

"The purpose of Founders Ministries is the recovery of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in the reformation of local churches. We believe intrinsic to this recovery is the promotion of the Doctrines of Grace in their experiential application to the local church particularly in the areas of worship and witness. This is to be accomplished through a variety of means focusing on conferences and including publication, education, pastoral training and other opportunities consistent with the purpose. Each of the ministries will be developed with special attention to achieve a healthy integration of doctrine and devotion.

BOB'S NOTE: The "purpose" of the Flounders has never been evangelism and soul-winning, but the so-called "reform" of SBC churches to the Reformed theology and to some extent Reformed ecclesiology. That is why they have never engaged in efforts to convert the unsaved and establish churches with the converts. The Flounders have always been a leeching, proselyting entity.

Observations on Brister

2009-02-28T18:58:00.006-05:00

HAVE THE FOUNDERS CHANGED
IN VISION AND PURPOSE?

The following is by Brother Ian Elsasser. His observation about the floundering of the Flounders (as I prefer to call "Founders Ministries") is the way many are probably viewing things.

Timmy Brister's remarks do seem to be at odds with Founders Ministries, especially when one considers his words to Bart Barber on Praise God Barebones blog.

Of note, Brister says "Calvinism is not a first-tier issue" and "definite atonement would be second (third?) tier."

This seems plainly inconsistent with emphasis of Ernest Reisinger, the one who founded and shaped the vision and purpose of Founders Ministries.

Reisinger said the Conservative Resurgence in the SBC fell short of ideal and needed to choose "the deep-rooted, God-centered theology of evangelical Calvinism," clearly entailing "the doctrines of grace," as over against "the man-centered, unstable theology of the other perspectives present in the convention."

Reisinger: "Make no mistake about it. Southern Baptists are at a crossroads. We have a choice to make. The choice is between the deep-rooted, God-centered theology of evangelical Calvinism and the man-centered, unstable theology of the other perspectives present in the convention. As for us, we adhere to the doctrines of grace because we seek nothing more than to glorify God and enjoy him forever through true doctrine and true devotion and true worship and true witness. The way we see it, to be a Calvinist is to hold to a God-magnifying faith, proclaiming that salvation is granted by grace, received by faith, grounded in Christ and reflective of the glory of God. To be a Calvinist is to be comforted by these truths, trusting that the God of the Bible, who is infinitely holy and righteous and loving, will not only save us but also keep us until the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Calvinism is a biblical faith which lives and breathes Scripture as God's infallible, inspired, inerrant Word, living and active, powerful, and sufficient for all of life. It is a stable faith, firmly entrenched within the historic orthodox tradition, flowing from Jesus and Paul through Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Owen, Bunyan, Edwards and Whitefield. It is a conserving faith, heartily resistant to the errors that plague other evangelical viewpoints" (Introduction to A Quiet Revolution: A Chronicle Of Beginnings Of Reformation in The Southern Baptist Convention by Ernest Reisinger & D. Matthew Allen).

How should we understand Reisinger's view? Does it portray Calvinism as a "second tier" or even "third tier" issue?

If the view of the Founders has changed from that formulated and established by Reisinger, should not Founders Ministries confirm this through the updating of their website purpose and announce that they have erred in the past by making Reformed theology and the doctrines of grace a main focus of their ministry activity toward the SBC?

But has its emphasis really changed?

Brister outlines the three main characteristics of a church he would plant ("confessionally Reformed, distinctively Baptist, and missionally driven")\ -- characteristics he voiced previously on his blog, Headed to Southeastern Seminary. Brister places "confessionally Reformed" in the first position. While it may be argued he does not run Founders Ministries, he is an associate pastor of the church where Founders Ministries Director, Tom Ascol, is pastor and which church [allegedly] is planning to plant a church.

Either come clean and admit that the original vision and purpose has not changed or admit it has changed -- and change by announcement and revision of the website and practices.

Ian

Scott Morgan . . . about-face?

2009-02-28T11:48:00.009-05:00

PASTOR SCOTT MORGAN'S
EVIDENT CHANGE-IN-ATTITUDE

Those of you who were reading the Flyswatter in 2006 will probably recall our friend in Georgia, Pastor Scott Morgan. Scott was so much of a militant "Calvinist" and so persuaded of his views that he ventured to suggest he would meet me in a public debate. I accepted the challenge, but at this point in time the debate is evidently "still pending."

I received the following email from our good friend, Ian Elsasser, who is keen in "keeping tabs" on what is going on in FloundersWorld and at other campsites of the Hybrid Calvinists. Apparently, Scott Morgan has had a change in attitude, and if so, we believe it is all for the better.

Ian writes:

Bob:

Scott Morgan has made an appearance on the Founders blog and demonstrates the different spirit which we had noted about a year and a half ago:

Scott said...
Tom, I have been following the blogs of Peter Lumpkins, Founders,and BI Folks. I see alot of misunderstanding of each other and accusations toward both sides. Can we not just stop and call a large mtg somewhere and sit down as brothers face to face ???

Pastor Johnny Hunt forgave me when I went way overboard on him. We met face to face and communicate almost weekly. We have had two dinners together and the love that he has shown me has blown me away. Yes, we may disagree on some things theologically but Pastor Johnny loves Christ and has taught me more things lately about being a strong Christian and Pastor than anyone of late.

There is no reason why Dr. Patterson, Malcolm, You, Dr. Akin, and whoever can't sit down together. Shame on the one or ones who feel they can't sit down and talk and pray through these things. This includes Wade Burleson as well. I understand that Wade has tried to meet with Dr. Patterson and he was not allowed to. This is wrong !!! I'm thankful that Johnny Hunt gave me the chance to ask for his forgiveness !!!! Johnny has taught me more about being a Christian and Pastor lately than anyone. What is interesting is that we disagree on some things theologically but I love this man and brother !!! Does anyone else believe that these men need to sit down face to face and talk ???? Link

I recall that when Charles was still active here that he told Scott that he was praying for him, and perhaps Charles' prayers had some contribution to make to the Lord's goodness in giving Brother Morgan a change of mind and heart. I myself have had a few conservations with Scott by phone, and had the pleasure of meeting him personally several years ago when we were in Atlanta for the Christian Booksellers Association. He is a lover and reader of Spurgeon's sermons, and Spurgeon also may have contributed to Scott's new attitude.

May God Bless Scott's ministry in his area!

COMMENTS: Send to pilgrimpub@aol.com

At the REFORMED FLYSWATTER, read --

REISINGER'S COMPROMISE