Why This is Important to Me
Warning: Blatant Baptist ramblings ahead. Proceed at your own risk. What you read may frighten you, cause you to run and hide, or make you wish you had never heard of denominations. Do not fear, I will not address this subject again until well into January, if then. I will write happy posts about Christmas, children, and jolly good times. But, for now, only if you are interested, you can engage with me on why I care about the goings on in the SBC and what difference it might make to anything that really matters in life. You might be surprised.
Over the past year, Southern Baptists have been engaged in a struggle over what defines the limits of our cooperation in missions (you can read my articles on the topic HERE). Some have tried to say that if you believe that the gifts of the Spirit have continued to this day (a continualist position), including speaking in tongues privately in prayer to God, you should not be accepted as a missionary candidate with the International Mission Board (IMB). There are other issues that are dividing us, including issues surrounding baptism and Christian liberty.
I am just going to say a few things about this and ask a few questions like the ones I have been posing to Dr. Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church, Farmersville, TX. Dr. Barber is an a posteriori cessationist , which basically means that, while he doesn't see Biblical evidence for the ceasing of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, he has looked around and not seen them in operation the way he thinks the Bible says. Therefore, he has come to the conclusion that God must have withdrawn them. Besides the fact that this view places all the weight of the evidence on what Dr. Barber himself has seen or not seen, it goes beyond the words of Scripture (or falls short) and places it's faith in experience, or lack thereof, rather than in what the Bible tells us to expect. Dr. Barber and I had a lively debate on this on one of my posts on the Holy Spirit, so you can see for yourself how he answered these questions. I do not want to put words in his mouth, so please, read his words for yourself.
Recently, Dr. Barber has been writing posts proclaiming that it is thoroughly natural for the SBC to divide, at least in our appointment of missionaries, and perhaps beyond, over the issue of private prayer language. He is a fair and good man, and I have learned to appreciate his keen mind, gentle spirit, and heart for the Lord and others. I enjoy discussing these things with him, because I feel that he is fair in his treatment of the subject and he will keep you thinking. I hope I do the same for him. In short, he is EXACTLY the type of man that I would love to work with, despite my continualist views, and is a good example of everything that I love about the SBC.
However, I am obviously in disagreement with him and many others who are advocating that a form of cessationism be considered the de facto theological position on this matter in the SBC. I feel that there are many who would like to see this view codified in the Baptist Faith & Message (BF&M), the Southern Baptist confession of faith. With recent events in our missions agency and at Southwestern Seminary, this possibility seems to be gaining steam. I take being involved in a denomination seriously, because we attach our name to theirs. We send 10% of our tithes and offerings to denominational entities and we do missions through the SBC. We participate with our sister churches in many things and we share a common theological heritage. I care about this because it is important. Let me list some ways the SBC will be affected, in my opinion, if this gathering storm against continualists keeps moving forward:
- Those who are continualists like myself, and many in my church and throughout the SBC, will no longer find a theological home in Southern Baptist life.
- We will no longer be welcome in our own denomination, but will be falsely looked upon as non-conformists and charismatics who would not affirm the BF&M or the dictates of the SBC entities.
- Missions, both internationally and domestic, will be cut off from those who affirm the continued working of the Holy Spirit through the giving of miraculous gifts.
- A tightening of what it means to be Baptist will continue and will choke many good brothers and sisters out of cooperation, participation, and ministry.
- The heart will be superseded for an outward conformity to rigid theological dictates on peripheral issues. Many will be damaged and run over because their belief on this issue does not conform with the majority.
- Relationships will be broken, and those who once gathered together around the centrality of the cross will be forced to walk in separate directions.
- The cause of proclaiming the gospel to the world will be overcome by the cause of attaining an impossible theological purity on non-essential issues.
- The dictates of man and tradition will override the teaching of Scripture, because there is no strong biblical evidence against the continualist position that can be derived from Scripture.
- A lost world that desperately needs to hear about the love of Christ and the gospel message, will instead be treated to another example of a sad tale of Christians denouncing other Christians because their beliefs on every peripheral issue is not the same.
- Many other things: you can fill in the blanks if you like.
Now, that is a taste of the doom and gloom that awaits us if this issue is pressed to it's logical conclusions. I hope this DOES NOT happen, but after watching this closely, that is where I am convinced we are headed if cooler heads do not prevail and this trend does not turn aside. I have seen this possibility for a year now and I have written, debated, warned, and prayed. I am a firm believer that Jesus Christ should be central to all we teach, practice, and base our unity upon. He is the basis of our unity, and if we would but look to Him, these petty disagreements would fade away.
I want to remind those who disagree with me on this, that it is not those who are asking for the restrictions on missionary appointments to be lifted who are bringing disunity. It is rather those who are limiting involvement based on non-essentials to the faith. How does this affect a lost world? How silly is all of this? Is there one non-Christian who really cares about any of this, except to enjoy the squabbling? For that matter, how many average Baptists care one way or another? Most do not, and it is not because they do not care about theology, but they would rather focus on things that are essential and move on in our God-given purposes.
Over the past year, I have written around 180 posts, and approximately 30 of them have dealt with this issue. I try to write about other things and chronicle where I see God working. I really do not like dealing with denominational issues. This will be my last post on this issue, unless something major happens, until well into January. I just believe that it is an issue of supreme importance, so I write yet one more warning to turn back from this direction and rally around the essentials of our faith in Jesus Christ.
What is the basis of our cooperation? What is the basis of our unity? What should our focus be? Despite our many flaws, I have affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention because it is made up of a people that has gotten these questions right. We have affirmed that Jesus, the Bible, and God's Gospel are primary. We have placed supreme importance on salvation and the preaching of the good news of Jesus Christ. We have been unified by bowing before the Cross and looking to the Lord. For the most part, side issues have stayed on the side and it has been a denomination that I have felt very much at home in, even with my continualist views.
Is all that changing? I sincerely hope not.
Alan,
Followed your links over to Bart's blog and read the comments. I have two thoughts. First, language is an obstacle we will find hard to overcome because whichever class rules, their glossary defines the terms. The use of "tiers" is helpful and unhelpful. It is useful by the ruling class when expedient to help articulate something of a "doctrinal hierarchy." Yet when it falls apart it must be reworked - and everyone else is considered postmodern relativists. Second, doctrines divide because their "invention" sought to help others know where we were different. If I want to play up my strength I will suggest your doctrinal position is a "doctrine of man." The problem is that doctrinal formulations are themselves human creations. Appeals to the Scriptures inherently treat our "inerrant" book as a tool for our formulations rather than the medium through which the authority of God is mediated by the Spirit to form us into Christlikeness. In the end these games impede both Christian unity and cooperative expediency. Our default is our way his "God's way" and that excludes all others.
I realize you did not ask for my analysis, but I found your thoughts helpful and wanted to contribute to the rant.
I fear we are still holding on the what it means to be "Baptist" as rising above all other considerations.
Posted by: Todd | December 19, 2006 at 10:10 AM
Art,
I agree fully with your sentiments about this issue. We will never bridge the divide concerning what we believe about tongues, but it is very sad that while we want to cooperate with them, they do not want to cooperate with us!
When it is all said and done, the Bible will still say that we are not to "forbid speaking in tongues!" I wonder what part of that do they not get?
At my place, I chronicled Paige Patterson's own reversal on this issue, or how he will not PRACTICE WHAT HE PREACHES, in regard to this issue...... http://timothycowin.wordpress.com/
TC
Posted by: Alan | December 19, 2006 at 01:06 PM
That's funny Tim. You said that you were Alan and called me Art. I think you meant that you were Tim and you were writing to me. Art is talking about similar things on his blog, but I think you got kind of tongue tied. Maybe it's spreading? :)
Thanks for the comment!
Posted by: Alan Cross | December 19, 2006 at 01:15 PM
Alan,
Well said, as usual. I too love the SBC. I regret to see the body of Christ divide over issues that do not "build up the Kingdom." My heart breaks to see any move that would stand to quench the Spirit. In answer to your friend Dr. Barber, maybe in his looking around he didn't see miracles because God has chosen to build his faith on things unseen. Or maybe he doesn't see what is directly in front of him, I don't know. Men can have the faith to believe a virgin birth, a resurrection, the trinity, the rapture and a triumphant return but have issues with God giving someone the gift of speaking in tongues. It always amazes me to see how God will surprise me with signs or wonders that I of little faith would not have believed if not seen. I in no way mean to say Dr. Barber is not sincere and don't intend to offend but who can know the heart? How can we presume to know what God chooses to use? I don't pretend to know how God works all things so why would I begin to say he has ceased doing something. How presumptuous indeed! God did not and does not ask my permission to do anything He chooses. Don't get me wrong, I can certainly see how some could base their doubt on what has been seen in some instances, but lest we forget, we are human and flawed and some will abuse and mislead. That doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bath water. I have tried to hold off speaking about this subject because I truly want to move on and be about the Lords' work of salvation but I couldn't help but speak out after your post. I can hear your heart and your cry for unity in all this. I too echo that cry. I even go farther and say let's remember that Jesus didn't set up denominations, man did. We are one in the Spirit and should create in our hearts a mindset of unity for all believers. We need to tear down barriers that hinder unity in all forms and keep our focus on Christ. Not compromising our principles or doctrine based on scripture, but believing God is able to do that which He certainly demonstrated He has done. I appreciated the way you put it in your post, that Christ should be central to all we teach, practice and base our unity upon and all these petty issues would just fade away. I will stop rambling but I will close by paraphrasing Paul, "not that I have already obtained all this or been made perfect but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Not that I consider myself yet to have taken hold of it but I forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead and I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Peace to you and your family. I love you Brother.
Posted by: Keith Lucas | December 19, 2006 at 02:16 PM
Alan, it doesn't take much reading in the scripture to find ample support for a call to unity. It breaks my heart that it seems so unimportant to many. I think we have been found guilty of putting the love for an entity above the love for Jesus. I think of Romans 12:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12-14, that God hates one who spreads dissension among the brothers (Proverbs 6), and these are just three examples of many. I see Jesus' heart breaking as He prays for unity among those who will believe in John 17. And, I pray that I will be just like Jesus, crying out daily for the unity rather than simply turning away from my brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to live by faith in the promises and commands of God and lay down every idol that separates us from Him, whether it be the idol of a denominational entity or the idol we build of ourselves and our intellect/theology/doctinal purity. Jesus alone stands True.
May you and yours have a Christmas filled with the Holy Spirit. I am blogless and back in Arkansas at the moment because my computer won't sign into blogger for some reason. Please keep praying for us.
Posted by: Bryan Riley | December 19, 2006 at 03:48 PM
Alan,
This is one of the most thoughtful and insightful posts I have read in quite some time. I believe that your analysis of what will happen if this trend continues is spot on. I pray that unity will prevail, but I have my concerns.
Posted by: Tim Sweatman | December 19, 2006 at 05:25 PM
Alan,
You have to pay tuition to earn the right to call me Dr. Barber.
It's Bart.
Posted by: Bart Barber | December 22, 2006 at 09:01 PM
Thank you all for your comments, it's good to know I have brothers and sisters within the SBC who think like you do.
For unity to become reality, we all as individuals must have our life hid in Christ Jesus, becoming one with Him, being born from above. It is in Him our unity is born. His body, the Church, consists of those of us who are new creations in Him, brethren of the Firstborn. His desire is for us to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. If there is disunity among the brethren,the simple fact is someone is not manifesting the mind of Christ. The truth of the Gospel is absolute. My prayer is for us all to seek the mind of Christ. God's Spirit, is a faithful and good Teacher who will lead us into all truth.
I pray for a new year in which we all seek unity by humbly seeking the mind of Christ and wholeheartedly loving Him and each other. Tami
Posted by: Tami | January 01, 2007 at 12:25 PM
I could've written many of your very words 10 years ago! You are experiencing first-hand the same incredulity I felt at the time. I became even embarrassed (well after the sorrow) to be called a Southern Baptist, and began to disassociate myself. It is one thing to consider oneself a dedicated inerrantist. It is another to be so dedicated to one's own (errant) interpretation of the inerrant scripture that one disallows the work of Christ in others who hold a different (and equally errant)interpretation.
For me, the presenting issues, though different at the time, only led to the realization that the SBC was embarking down a road toward creedalism and away from priesthood of the believer and autonomy of the local church, two historically central (though not creedal-ized) So Baptist perspectives. Many faithful Baptists who were not invested in the specific issues being discussed at the time failed to see the larger, destructive, and insidious legalism that began creeping in the backdoor. The only response to disputes over the letter of the law is more law, and you can trace the ever tightening "noose" over the last 20 years, and the issues that have, one by one, disenfranchised brothers and sisters, including many dedicated career missionaries who helped bring the good news of Christ to the world.
In Baptist circles, I no longer use the term "inerrantist" to define my stand on Scripture, because the word became a cliche used as justification for an "I have the Real truth and you don't" mentality in areas that are gray (though they may not see them as gray). I am a fundamentalist in that I believe all the fundamentals. I am also post-modern enough to believe that everything else is subject to my personal filter, and hold those beliefs with an open hand.
Whether the division is godly or ungodly, God who is in charge will use it for His purposes. This is the nature of being Protestant: we protest and split. While our Catholic brethren would point to this as evidence of our apostasy, we point to Paul and Barnabas, and cheerfully rename it "divide and multiply."
With David we plead to God:
Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of (us);
Let not those who seek You be confounded because of (us), O God of Israel.
Posted by: gracenik | January 08, 2007 at 08:32 AM