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.

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 Paige Patterson-Total Depravity

The most hated doctrine in the world today is the exclusivity of Christ.  The second is total depravity.

He says thank God that our Calvinistic brethren for preaching the word of God. We have so much total depravity in our churches today because the word of God is neglected in preaching today.

Dr. Patterson starts with reading Romans 1 through 3:26.  He says you won’t hear this preached in this post-modern world.

What does depravity mean?

1. There is not a single human being on the face of the earth that is right with God.  None, not one regardless of religion or morality.

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

Calvinism, Hyper-Calvinism and Arminianism

I thought this might be a good suggestion for the week with the continuous talk of Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism, etc.  This is a revised and updated version of this book written in 1985.

Description: Confused about the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism? Tired of uneducated clergy and layman confusing “classical Calvinism” with the error of hyper-Calvinism? Would you like to know how to answer the false Arminian charges often brought up in a discussion like “Calvinism makes God the author of sin?” or “Why evangelize?”

Hyper-Calvinism and Southern Baptists

Many times in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) we hear concerns over Calvinism and how it can split a church or destroy evangelism. And just as many times the Calvinist answers that those charges are not true. But are they true? Well, theology in the hands of sinful men can do much harm to a church. Calvinism, Arminianism, or some theological combination in the hands of sinful men can all be harmful to churches.

Dr. Hargrave addresses Southern Baptists & Calvinism

An astute reader informed me of this video. As the screen shots tell us, yet again, Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism must be distinguished from one another for SBCers. Gene Bridges recently addressed this same issue. Dr. Hargrave gives an important message to consider in the SBC.

Dr. Hargrave talks about labels and being honest about them. I will just give one quote from the video.

What works has become more important than what is true in our pulpits and in our congregations. We have become less theological in our denomination.

Good stuff!

Mark

Calvinism, Arminianism and John 6:44

I’ve been a little busy lately, but I wanted to share some food for thought with some folks.

Brian Bosse has written on his blog A Logical Analysis of John 6:44. He also provides a link to the .pdf file of his paper which is here. It’s a very interesting and maybe a somewhat difficult read.

He concludes:

given the Arminian understanding of universal atonement one is left with Universalism, while the Calvinistic understanding of a limited atonement is consistent.

Enjoy!

Mark