Sweet Tea & Theology

A Seminary Student’s Thoughts on the John 3:16 Conference-Update

Update: Todd Burus shares a great letter written prior to the conference.
Read it: Calvinism in the SBC- An Open Letter to Johnny Hunt and Jerry Vines

One of the people I was at the John 3:16 Conference with is a seminary student working towards an M.Div.  He attends an SBC seminary and was asked to give his thoughts on the conference for one of his classes.  He’s allowed me to post his brief thoughts below.

Southern Baptist Pastors: A Must Read Letter

Open Letter to All Pastors of Churches in the SBC

Dear Pastor,

Let me first clarify that this letter is for Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) pastors in general. I am well aware that what you are about to read does not include all pastors - at least not in totality.

…What is really so remarkable about the question of SBC decline is not the decline itself, but rather the simple answer that is so obvious no one will talk about with any seriousness openly in the SBC.

Read the whole thing!

John 3:16 Conference 60 minute Q&A

John 3:16 Conference live blogging links in order
Welcome
Part 1
Part 2 (T)
Part 3 (U)
Part 4 (L)
Part 5 (I)
Part 6 (P)
Part 7

And the downloadable handout from Dr. Allen with updated cleaner charts thanks to Tony Byrne.

UPDATE: James White and Phil Johnson have answered David Allen concerning the charge that James White is a hyper-Calvinist according to Phil Johnson’s definition.

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Paige Patterson had to leave early so Malcom Yarnell is sitting in for him on the panel.

The format is one question for TULIP from a Calvinist and a non-Calvinist.

John 3:16 Conference Charles Stanley - John 3:16 to the World

Dr. Stanley starts telling that he grew up in a pentecostal holiness church.  He wasn’t raised with the belief that we can have assurance of salvation.  He then came to understand in the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ.

Stanley doesn’t like this new move of talking about raising up “leaders” and such.  Instead we need to grow godly men.  He tells the story of his salvation and that he just loved Jesus.  He didn’t have a theological description.  He asks, how can you be saved and be lost?  Referencing those who don’t believe in eternal security.

John 3:16 Conference Ken Keathley - Perseverance of the Saints

Quote from I.H Marshall
- 2 Tim. 1:12 - Two components
- One is presently saved - you can know that you are saved
- One who in a state of grace will remain in the state of grace –>This is the perseverance

What is the basis for assurance?

Asahel Nettleton says “I think it possible I may get to heaven.”

- Quotes D.A. Carson WTJ. 54. 21.
- “Arminianism and Calvinism meet in strange and sad ways.”

Three views on knowing if we are genuinely saved?

John 3:16 Conference Steve Lemke - Irresistible Grace

Desires to go forward in unity. Those these discussions are appropriate.

References Dordt and it being a response to the Remonstrance.

Reads some long quotes of God’s grace that man has not saving grace within himself, etc. that we can’t do anything that is good. All good deeds must be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ.  Then, tells everyone that this was the Remonstrance and what the Calvinists were reacting against.

We should not confuse hyper-Calvinists and Calvinists just as we should not call Arminians pelagian.  We should all do better with these labels.

John 3:16 Conference David Allen - Limited Atonement

Dr. Allen starts with John 3:16.  He plans on quoting only Calvinsts to prove his case against limited atonement.  Calvinists are going to be “shocked.”

What two things to these men have in common - Calvin, Bunyan, Bullinger, Watts, Brainerd, Hodge, Edwards, Shedd, Barnes, Strong, etc. etc.? (I couldn’t get them all)  Dr. Allen wants to be firm but fair.  Answering the questions of must a Calvinist hold to the L, did they all hold to it and does Scripture teach it.

He mentions Tony Byrne at theologicalmeditations.com  who is a four-point Calvinist.  Dr. Allen gave a six page hand-out.  (I’ll see if I can upload it tonight.)

John 3:16 Conference Richard Land-Unconditional Election

Dr. Vines starts the morning explaining that disagreeing is not a bad thing. He has many Calvinist friends with whom he disagrees. He claims man can still make a choice and that though depraved not so much to as to say our capacity to chose is ruined. He does not mention God’s grace and how He acts in our “choice” in salvation.  (He mentions that Ergun Caner might be here.)

Dr. Land
Congruent Election: Understanding Salvation from An Eternal Now Perspective

John 3:16 Conference Jerry Vines-John 3:16

Dr. Vines, as far as I can tell, is preaching the same message on John 3:16 that he preached at SBTS chapel earlier this year.  You can listen here: “The Inexhaustible Love of God” (John 3:16).  Since you can go and listen I may not say too much on this.  We’ll see.  From what I remember there is nothing contrary to what a Calvinist would believe in Dr. Vines sermon.

God’s love is global.  If you’ve not heard this sermon Vines goes through the greek and some historical understandings of love, world, God, etc.

John 3:16 Conference Welcome Message by Johnny Hunt

As I blog through the John 3:16 Conference I will try to follow the schedule.

Jerry Vines introduces the conference and Johnny Hunt.  He says this conference is designed to be a biblical and theological response to five point Calvinism.

Johnny Hunt gets a show of hands and about 90% of the attendance are pastors and the rest lay people.  He starts with reading Psalm 119:33-40.  He emphasizes the “teach me” and “make me” in the verses.  We come to hear and obey the word of God.  Not intellectually, but to learn and apply it.  God grants the content and the understanding.  Ending well is the result of living well.

John 3:16 Conference Questions

As many of you know (or maybe not) I will be attending the John 3:16 Conference this week.  The very last item on the schedule is a 60 minute Q&A.

So…

I’d love to hear from blogdom out there as to what questions you’d like answered.  Maybe, just maybe I could get to ask or submit some of them for you.  I don’t know the set-up for everything yet so we’ll see.

I may also get the chance to live blog the conference.

Hopefully, this conference will build rather than tear down.

Mark

A Healthy View of Church?

“Because people like me come from professional backgrounds, and we want churches that reflect our backgrounds. I don’t want to be opening my home to people. I don’t want to get involved in people’s lives. I don’t want needy people in my church. Before people like me went into Christian ministry, we were lawyers, doctors, businessmen. And when we get involved in ministry we bring those values with us. We want to lead growing churches with professional people, church administrators, healthy budgets. We want church to be a well-run organization with polished presentations.” Chester, Tim, and Steve Timmis. Total Church. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 69.

Reformation Day 2008: Protestant Courage

I remember several years ago while talking to a Roman Catholic about doctrine.  Though she had just left the convent and would no longer be in process to become a nun, she was a devout Roman Catholic as far as I could tell.  She left the convent and married a friend of mine.  We were all having dinner and I don’t quite remember what exactly we were talking about, but I can tell you how the conversation ended.  After a few minutes of dialogue, in her frustration, she finally said, “We’re Catholic, we don’t use the Bible!”

Calvinism or Just a John 3:16 Kind of Guy III

Calvinism or Just a John 3:16 Kind of Guy Part III

This is the third and final installment of this series.  This will finish up part I and part II and my review of Dr. John Compton’s sermon “What is Calvinism?”  I want to take a look at Dr. Compton’s three concerns, his theology of salvation on John 3:16 and offer some final thoughts.

Three Concerns

Dr. Compton, referencing again the Founders “Movement,” shares three concerns about going back to Calvinism. Those are 1. anti-missionary movements, 2. de-emphasis on evangelism and 3. full disclosure by pastors with the search committee.

Calvinism or Just a John 3:16 Kind of Guy II

Calvinism or Just a John 3:16 Kind of Guy Part II

This is a continuation of the previous post.  We start this section with the claim of the over-emphasis of God’s sovereignty above man’s free-will. An assertion based on what? We aren’t told. A side observation is that rarely are objections raised when a preacher counts words and verses to make his point. For example, you might hear that money is talked about by Jesus x hundred times in Scripture as a way to validate the importance of money. Usually, people say that is a good point not an over-emphasis. God’s sovereignty is written about in Scripture whereas man’s responsibility, not free-will, is written about. Even in our own households we see parents with sovereignty over their children regardless of how “free” the child’s will is.