Recently, the tattered, torn cloth of easy believism was draped once again over the shoulders of Southern Baptists by one of the young new lights shining among evangelicals—David Platt. He said in a “talk” excerpt at Verge 2012:
Continue reading "I was saved through a sinner's prayer by Peter Lumpkins" »
Since the Liberty University fiasco with Mark Driscoll began a few weeks ago, a lot of interesting things grabbed my attention but I just couldn't let go LU's disastrous invitation to the controversial pastor >>>
Continue reading "Mark Driscoll, Liberty University, Mitt Romney, Richard Land, Lifeway, Andy Stanley: a bit of potpourri by Peter Lumpkins" »
Below is a video we've all anticipated: "Al Mohler and Charles Spurgeon: the making of a legend." Enjoy...
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Below are two videos. Both are nutty. Both are extreme. Both miserably represent the Christian faith. Both display Scripture abuse. Both claim biblical authority. Both reveal perversion. Both have representatives in evangelicalism. There is at least one difference. One is rejected as extreme nuttiness by virtually every sector of the Christian church. The other is accepted by a large portion of evangelicalism--including many Southern Baptists--as hip, cool, and doing a great work for God. Guess who is hip and cool and who are considered nuts >>>
Continue reading "Cool, hip extremism is extremism just the same: 'snake handling vs 'seeing things' by Peter Lumpkins" »
I first posted this piece in June, 2007, about a year after I first started blogging. Since it tells some of my own journey through the doctrines of grace, I'm reposting it for my newer readers1 >>>
Continue reading "Ramblings on being a non-Calvinist by Peter Lumpkins" »
Update: especially note footnote #2 since I failed to account for a third public response from Marty King in the critique below
In light of Al Mohler's recent encouragement to Southern Baptist editors to "cover Calvinism," I find it interesting that when Gerald Harris, editor of The Christian Index, placed his view in print, he was side-swiped by other entity-heads and leaders for describing an "encroaching Calvinism" >>>
Continue reading "Lifeway responds to Christian Index editorial on "encroachment of Calvinism" by Peter Lumpkins " »
Following "Al Mohler says to state editors: you must cover Calvinism (part I)" is the final section below (not included here is the Q/A session). As before, while the words summarize sections from his address to Southern Baptist editors, the words are his own words (no commentary is added other than an occasional implied subject in brackets for clarity). I've sought to be true to the context. However, the reader may be pleased to know a transcription of his entire speech is available >>>
Continue reading "Al Mohler says to state editors: you must cover Calvinism (part II) by Peter Lumpkins" »
On February 13-16, 2012, editors of denominational papers across the Southern Baptist Convention met in Phoenix, Arizona at the Chaparral Suites Hotel for their annual meeting. One of the keynote speakers was Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president, Al Mohler. For those who want to know what Dr. Mohler thinks about the role of Calvinism in Southern Baptist life now and the future, he does not disappoint >>>
Continue reading "Al Mohler says to state editors: you must cover Calvinism (part I) by Peter Lumpkins" »
Just about a year ago, Dr. Brad Whitt fired a shot heard in most sectors of the Southern Baptist Convention. Being a young South Carolina, Southern Baptist pastor, he just didn’t fit the mold of the young, restless, and reformed travelling around the country by the tens of thousands (literally) to hear all the cool, calm, Calvinist speakers at the latest Passion, T4G, TGC, SGM, YRR conferences >>>
Continue reading "Al Mohler vindicates Brad Whitt: "there is a creeping Presbyterianism amongst us" by Peter Lumpkins" »
Recently, Dr. Al Mohler spoke to the annual meeting of Baptist state convention editors and made this plain but provocative remark concerning the theological future of Southern Baptists >>>
Continue reading "Al Mohler: "Calvinism is the shape of our future" by Peter Lumpkins" »
We often hear how settled the question was pertaining to the "doctrines of grace" amongst the 19th Baptists. Indeed, as Professor Tom Nettles suggests, to deny the almost universal strict Calvinism (i.e. 5 point Calvinism) of our Baptist forefathers in the Southern Baptist Convention, is to embrace what he calls "theological apostacy" and what Dr. Tom Ascol indicates is a departure from "Baptist orthodoxy" (//link) >>>
Continue reading "On the Doctrines and Practices of Baptists (1857) by Peter Lumpkins" »
Ever curious what top representatives from the largest network of Baptist Calvinists in the Southern Baptist Convention think about those of us who are Southern Baptists but do not embrace the "doctrines of grace"? Let's consider clear words from two prominent Calvinists in the Southern Baptist Convention network: >>>
Continue reading "Tom Nettles, Tom Ascol, and Southern Baptist orthodoxy by Peter Lumpkins" »
When one reaches my age and has attempted to stay relatively up-to-date about who Southern Baptists are and have been in their rich history since 1845, it wets one's juices when along comes an historical fast ball you didn't even see the pitcher throw >>>
Continue reading "When you think you've got Southern Baptists all figured out--"Theologically he is a strict Calvinist..." by Peter Lumpkins" »