While at the SBC annual meeting in Dallas last week, I received a free copy of What is a Reformed Baptist: An Overview of Doctrinal Distinctives by Tom Hicks. I was eager to read the book because (a) I consider myself reformed and (b) I am a convinced Baptist (in that order). Understanding what Dr.…
At the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas this past week, I was able to moderate a panel discussion on the SBC and Christian Higher Education. Joining me on the panel were Dr. Rick Melson (President, Southwest Baptist University), Dr. Jonathan Akin (VP at Carson-Newman University), Dr. Jason Duesing (Provost, Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon…
Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a question one of his students had asked him in class. The student wanted to know how to reconcile Calvin’s definition of faith with that of the Westminister Confession of Faith (WCF). Here is how Calvin defines faith. “Now we shall possess a right definition of faith if…
Last year at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting in Denver, Reformed theologian J. V. Fesko offered a historical-theological critique of John Piper’s book, What is Saving Faith? (You can watch the debate here or read it here. Denny Burk offers a short summary here). Fesko argues that Piper fails to understand how the Reformed tradition…
Soteriology refers to the doctrine of salvation. Under this particular theological category, one finds a number of topics. For instance, the doctrine of conversion falls here. Then, under the doctrine of conversion, one finds discussions of faith and repentance. Often these two elements (faith and repentance) are discussed as two sides of the one coin…
Sin, as a label for our natural state before God, signifies rebellion, defilement, condemnation, and slavery. Rebellion: all persons resent, defy, evade, belittle, ignore, and disobey God in way or another, every day of our lives. Defilement: all persons are unclean — dirty, to say it straight out — in God’s sight; we are offensive…
Many of us remember when we were little the adult table and the kid table at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. It was always an exciting time when we “graduated” from the kid table to the adult table. No more seating assignments next to little Johnny where you were expected to help him eat his food and…
Theology Along the Way 