He called people to follow Him where both pulbicly and privately, but mostly publicly. A call to public followship to Jesus was a common practice used by Rabbis and should continue today.

We are called to profess our faith in Jesus at the start of our journey with Jesus and throughout our entire life. We need more public Christians and less private/closet believers. When Christians stop reaching out it is not long before they are smothered out.

I say let’s follow in the foot steps of Jesus and give a public invitation. Lost people in whom the Holy Spirit is working will want to respond publicly. That is a characteristic of the Holy Spirit working in a person’s life. The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to fast and pray. He compelled Paul to respond on the Damascus Road.

I have seen grown men run down the ailse to be saved, during an a time of public commitment. It a public time necessary? Why no. It is biblical? Yes. I am for whatever will get a person committed, soldout to Jesus and publicly professing Jesus publicly for the get-go.

I’ve read and heard many non-Calvinists who seem to be condescending, but I’m slow to condemn them as such. It’s more a matter of frustration with the theological tension that generates such passion in our thoughts and I don’t necessarily see it as a bad thing when such passion is borne of a desire to know God better.

Point taken. What I am referring to more specifically in the SBC are those are “one point” Calvinists, that usually being a point redefined (eternal security rather than perseverance of the saints).

Referring to oneself as a non-_________ does not make it easy to have a conversation. It is, to me, a nebulous title with no precommitments, so how can Calvinists have conversations with people who do not say anything positive about what they believe/affirm regarding their soteriological position (except for other nondescript terms like “biblicist”)?

I know where you, Ware, Akin, & Reid stand for the most part. However, even with all the confessions of Southern Baptists, I am more convinced that the elder generation is less confessional and more pragmatic, thus making doctrinal consensus even more difficult because it is viewed as cumbersome and divisive rather than consensus building and constructive.

Why is this so? Would it be accurate to call someone like, say, myself, Bruce Ware, Russell Moore, or even Alvin Reid “Arminians” simply because we do not hold all five points? That’s like calling many Calvinists “hyper” when it is quite obvious they don’t hold to hyper-Calvinism.

This is another caution many Calvinists ignore or simply forget about.

“but I don’t build my ministry off polemics but proclamation.”

Well said, and a nice use of alliteration…

There is a difference between growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ versus being reconciled to God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Timmy – You are still not off the hook regarding “Where you were going” with that previous post” (Smiling).

D.L. Kane

I think of Christ’s words as He hung on the cross: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” I can be pretty certain that the man He was talking to did not know or understand TULIP.

I also think of Paul’s word’s: “The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.”

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The tensions and questions we face are important and should be glossed over; however, more than that, our love for one another and shared commitment to faithful gospel witness should be even greater. If I err, let me err there. After having preached Jesus with my non-Calvinist brother, then we can sit down over some Southern Baptist fried chicken (okay maybe grilled instead) and have a healthy discussion on different points. At least that’s the way I’m proceeding.

On the one hand I don’t think Calvinists are the sole guardians of the Gospel. As a matter of fact, I think some Calvinists obscure the Gospel with TULIP.

On the other hand, like you, I believe that Calvinism does give the fullest expression to the Gospel. As such, I have a hard time separating the great truths expressed by TULIP from the Gospel.