9Marks Focus at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary by Peter Lumpkins

    Recently, SEBTS hosted a 9Marks conference on campus.  Led by Mark Dever, founder of 9Marks and presently pastor at Capital Hill Baptist Church in D.C., there were several sessions offered, as well as the effervescent, omnipresent panel discussion now an industry standard for conferences like these.

A sampling of the sessions follows:

Preaching from Genesis through Revelation by Mark Dever

Preaching from Romans 9 by Thabiti Anyabwile

Preaching from Isaiah 6 by David Platt

Preaching from Philippians 2 by Danny Akin

Preaching from Revelation 2 by Matt Chandler

Though I  have not viewed all the sessions, I did view the presentation on Romans 9 by Thabiti Anyabwile.  You'll want to view this when you get a chance

Personally, I found Anyabwile's presentation skills winsome. He comes across as warm, inviting, and informed. He is easy to "like" and would be someone you'd want to sit down with and chat. On the other hand, his treatment of Romans 9 lacked both the exegetical depth of a seasoned expositor and the sober analysis of a mature biblical theologian. Imposing an anachronistic grid onto the text of Romans 9 thereby forcing a view which makes Paul to have exclusively addressed post-Reformation questions arising from developed Calvinistic dogma remains an insufficient biblical hermeneutic. 

A better option, in my view, is to read Romans 9 on its own terms, and allow the Apostle to frame his own concerns. A worthy example of reading and exegeting Romans 9 not as "Reformed" systematic theology but as biblical theology is Professor Malcolm Yarnell's treatment of Romans 9. I encourage the reader to compare the two approaches and note the differences between them. As with Anyabwile, you'll find Dr. Yarnell's presentation skills both warm and winsome. 

With that, I am...

Peter

Comments

[Ron Hale]

Peter,
I was wondering if you or your readers could shed any light on the SBC Missional giving by Capitol Hill Baptist Church in D.C. ----to the Cooperative Program or Lottie Moon Christmas Offering or Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions?

It must be a strong giving congregation to CP ... for Southeastern Seminary to give them such a spotlight.

Thanks!

[Job]

Romans 9:13 - As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Ummm ... it is Anyabwile (see his Amazon.com page ) who exposits what the text actually says, and Yarnell who imposes his own system onto it.

[peter lumpkins]

Job,

You're welcome to state your view as unstudied as it might be. You're not welcome to leave advertising links (hence, I took the liberty to delete your link).

With that, I am...
Peter

[Job]

Peter:

Just curious ... what makes you believe that I am "unstudied"? Or that you are "studied"?

[Job]

And I was not advertising for Dr. Anyabwile, a figure that I had heard of long before your mention of him. I only posted his Amazon.com page to provide a fact-based challenge to your assertion that he "lacked both the exegetical depth of a seasoned expositor and the sober analysis of a mature biblical theologian." The fellow is more than just "winsome, warm and inviting" in other words, but a well known theologian and author. Now I don't agree with everything that Anyabwile says, but unlike your very learned self, I don't use my disagreements with him to attack his worth and ability as a minister. So you've attacked him and attacked me. Anyone else you want to go after?

Same old same old ...

[Job]

Ooops ... made a mistake in referring to him as "Dr. Anayabwile." Typing too fast.

[peter lumpkins]

Job,

Perhaps you're typing too fast because you're typing from emotion. Apparently, you are *never* going to accept any value to what I may post. I fully accept such, Job. I will sleep well tonight I assure.

Had you read my actual words--apart from emotively reading into them--you could have gleaned I,

a) did not necessarily suggest you were unstudied but only that you *might be*

b) did not mention jack squat about my being "studied." Hence, I may or may not be "studied" as well.

Here's what I suggest, Job. If you can make a contribution to discussion threads spawned by a post I publish, by all means do so. If all you want to do is tit-tat, I suggest you just move along. Fair enough?

With that, I am...
Peter