My blogging compatriot Jason Skipper has a fantastic post today, warning against the over-reaction so common in many of us who have come out of extreme fundamentalism. I participate in a group blog with Jason on fundamentalism, and Jason’s posts are always worth the read. I’ll quote a paragraph’s worth, and then encourage you to go over and check out the whole thing.
…Don’t stay involved in controversy. Engage only when necessary. Life is filled with enough fighting without picking fights that could be avoided. Remember the old saying that one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar. Keep a Christ-centered hermeneutic and a Christo-centric approach to dealing with other men. What is important is not the exposing of error, but upholding Jesus. It is possible to become just as negative as the extremists when fighting error. That is to be avoided.
I went through this same over-reaction stage and have to be on guard against it. Let me know what you think about Jason’s word of warning.
Tags: encouragement, exaggeration, exhortation, Fundamentalism, Fundamentally Changed, Jason Skipper, overreact, overreaction, pendulum, swing, tendency, warning
For a while now, I’ve wanted to do a series on the five points of Calvinism, or at least, in my own words, answer the question: “What is Calvinism?” The wait is over, and my brief (for me) explanation of Calvinism is ready. You can check it out at my Calvinism page, but I want to share it here for your benefit as well.
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This is my own work on the five points here. I recommend John Piper’s clear and concise booklet as the best explanation of Calvinism to those who are ignorant of what Calvinism is and what it teaches. His treatment is respectful and very Biblical, it is available online here.
When it comes to Calvinism I think of it as a description of what happens “behind the scenes” with respect to our salvation. We are confronted with the gospel and asked to believe, we feel conviction and then relief when we trust Christ. Biblically, however, what happened in our heart was more than us independently deciding what we would do with the gospel. I have found that the more we know of what Scripture teaches about the inner workings of salvation, the greater will be our respect and regard for the One who saved us. All of this should tend toward a greater degree of personal worship, a sincere humility, and more glory to God, not a higher degree of pride or party spirit.
T – stands for Total Depravity. This means that every aspect of man is tainted by sin. No one is as evil as they can be, but evil affects every part of our being – mind, will, heart, etc. We do not seek after God, naturally. And apart from God’s initiative, we cannot please God. In fact, we are enslaved by the devil and are lost, blinded to the truth of the gospel and in need of God to mercifully reach down and intervene. (Rom. 3:10-18, 8:7-8; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:3-6; 2 Tim. 2:24-26)
U – stands for Unconditional Election. Since we are helpless and totally depraved, we need God to intervene. God doesn’t sit on the sidelines and see who is worthy of being chosen, God chooses. And because of His choice, the “elect” live lives worthy of their calling. Scripture is quite emphatic that neither our belief nor our works fit us for being elected but rather, flow from our election. (Acts 13:48; John 6:44, 6:64-65; 10:26; Eph. 1:3-6; 1 Thess. 1:4-5; 2 Thess. 2:13)
L – stands for Limited Atonement. The choice of “limited atonement” to fit with the TULIP acronym is unfortunate. Actually TULIP doesn’t date back before 1900, and “limited atonement” wasn’t widely used much before then. “Particular redemption” or “definite atonement” give the sense better. Jesus’ death is of infinite value and is sufficient for all but efficient for the elect only. Jesus didn’t just make salvation possible (if “activated” by one’s own contribution of faith). He actually redeemed and saved a people through His death. These are the sheep for whom He died and the church whom He purchased with His blood and the bride whom He died for. He died in some different sense for these than He did for those He knew would reject His atoning sacrifice. He actually bore their real punishment and substituted on their behalf in a real way — He made true propitiation for these. (John 10:11 compared to 10:26; Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25-27; Titus 2:14; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn. 4:9-11)
*It should also be noted that there have historically been varying positions regarding this point among Calvinists. All Calvinists hold that Christ died for everyone in a general sense and for the elect in a specific sense (1 Tim. 4:10). Some take this to mean the typical understanding of “L” must be flawed and so they call themselves 4 point Calvinists, others take this as a “multiple intentions” view that in the atonement, God had more than one purpose. The majority today hold that God’s purpose in the atonement was the saving of the elect, other benefits such as common grace extend to all as an extension of what Jesus did on the cross, but the cross-work was not performed on the behalf of all, but only for the elect. (This does not mean we should not preach to all, since we have no way of knowing who the elect are. Hyper-Calvinists are the ones who do not preach the gospel indiscriminately to all, and they do not speak for Calvinists in this extreme and errant practice.)
I – stands for Irresistible Grace. This point does not mean no one can resist God’s grace. People do resist. But for all who have been elected, God will overcome their resistance and graciously save them. This captures the idea of regeneration preceding faith. Calvinists believe faith flows from a heart that has been regenerated. A dead heart can’t believe. Faith is the sign of what happened behind the scenes in the internal workings of the heart. So while it may look like faith causes the new birth from our perspective, it actually is the new birth which evidences itself in faith. (John 1:13, 3:3-8; 1 Cor. 2:14; 1 John 4:7, 5:1 [note Greek tense on both of these = "has been born of God"]; Deut. 30:6; Ez. 36:25-27; Heb. 10:15-16; James 1:18; Phil. 2:13)
P – stands for Perseverance of the Saints. This means more than the common understanding of the eternal security of the believer. God preserves all the elect so that not one of them is finally lost, but He also so works in them that they persevere in their faith. When they fall, they aren’t utterly destroyed, they get back up. They bear fruit and have good works which testify to the genuineness of their professed faith. For those who fail to persevere, we are not the ultimate judge God is. But we should exhort one another daily to “fight the good fight of faith”. When understood properly, this point allows believers to take seriously the many warning passages and “if” statements in Scripture. It also gives us confidence to trust that “He who began a good work in [us], will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”. (Phil. 1:6; 1 Cor. 15:2; John 10:28; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; Heb. 3:12-14, 6:11-12, 10:23-25, 12:14; Col. 1:21-23; Matt. 3:8-10, 7:15-23;)
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I’m open to critique and feedback on this; so please use the comments to let me know what you think. We can have a charitable debate on the topic too, if you’d like.
Tags: 5 points, Calvin, Calvinism, Christianity, doctrine, explanation, Perseverance, Reformed, Reformed Theology, Regeneration, Religion, salvation, soteriology
The best fiction transports the reader into the setting of the book. The adventure written becomes an adventure experienced. Characters aren’t just described by the author, they are befriended by the reader. This is when reading becomes an engrossing, consuming experience, and books become a work of art rather than a mere production. Jeffrey Overstreet wields this kind of book magic in his “Auralia Thread” series.
Raven’s Ladder (book #3) was my first encounter with the series, and as the story developed I felt like I had stepped into a well-developed, alternate world. The members of a fallen House are struggling to survive in a wilderness, and a mysterious danger lurks below ground. A young king believes in childish myths about The Keeper and risks everything to follow his mystical guides. A group of devious seer-types control an economic stronghold where the people worship moon spirits and follow their own pursuits and pleasures wholeheartedly. And a malady which turns men to beasts has destroyed another House and threatens all the land.
The tale is so different it takes a while to feel comfortable in the story. And when you begin to sense the grandeur of the tale, glimpses of connections to Christianity make the tale all the more alluring. Auralia’s vivid colors mesmerize all who remember them, and visions of beauty stand out all the more starkly against a pervasive and widespread ugliness. Whispers of The Keeper and the mystery of a long forgotten past make figuring out this world much less easy than it seems.
As the tale progresses, high and low points ebb and flow. The conclusion will leave you begging for more, and wondering what is in store for young King Cal-raven and the other heroes of the book. And after finishing this book, you may feel the urge to read the first two books to enjoy the world Jeffrey Overstreet has created to its fullest extent.
My thanks go out to the Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing me a review copy of this book as part of the Raven’s Ladder / Lady Carliss book blog tour.
You can pick up a copy at Amazon.com or directly from Waterbrook Multnomah. For more information on the book, check out the listing on CrossFocusedReviews.com my new book review site.
Tags: art, Auralia, Auralia Thread, blog tour, book blog tour, fantasy, fiction, imagination, Jeffrey Overstreet, literature, Recommended, story, World
The appeal of fantasy fiction is wrapped up in its other-worldliness. On film, Peter Jackson captured this well in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Of course, the books themselves are more effective at transporting the reader to another time and place.
In the “Knights of Arrethtrae” series, Chuck Black takes the grand Biblical story of redemption and crafts an allegorical, fictitious world to match it. Following John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress legacy, Black interweaves Christian themes into his fantasy tale.
The series is based on his earlier 6 part Kingdom series, and offers vignettes of followers of the King across the Sea. “The King reigns and his Son!” is the rallying cry of the Prince’s Knights in the Kingdom of Arrethtrae. Shadow Warriors and evil knights battle Silent Warriors and the Prince’s knights, in a battle for the souls of men.
In Lady Carliss, we find a fascinating tale of treachery, deceit, a dark plot and mystery. Carliss battles more than just the dark forces, as she must master her heart and its attraction to her brother’s best friend Lord Dalton. Along the way, she faces the dreadful choice of saving the life of one she can’t help but love, or saving the lives of friends who count on her.
At the end of the book, a discussion guide is included with pointed questions about the allegory and the story, chapter by chapter. The peril of a pleasure-inducing substance that sends people into an alternate reality provides a platform for addressing the problem of escapism in today’s world. The questions also come with answers and make this book, and the ohters in the “Knights of Arrethtrae” series, ideal for parents to read with their teens, or for youth groups to read together in a church-based book club.
The story moves along at a fast clip and includes surprising twists and turns. The style is straightforward and action-oriented, suitable for teen-age readers and a shorter sized fantasy book. The allegory is at times very direct, and detailed descriptions of the meaning are included at the end. Still the story stands on its own right, and entering the world Black creates is both enjoyable and instructive.
The meta-narrative or grand story of the Bible is indeed alluring. We need to remind ourselves that an alternate reality has nothing on the redemptive plan of our Savior. We, like Carliss, need to learn to trust the Prince and follow him in spite of our feelings and uncertainties. And our Lord will prove True and Faithful, every time.
My thanks go out to the Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing me a review copy of this book as part of the Raven’s Ladder / Lady Carliss book blog tour.
You can pick up a copy at Amazon.com or directly from Waterbrook Multnomah. For more information on the book, check out the listing on CrossFocusedReviews.com my new book review site.
Tags: Bible, blog tour, book blog tour, Christian, Christianity, Chuck Black, fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, fiction, grand story, kingdom, metanarrative, narrative, redemption, story, Waterbrook Multnomah
As a father, I’m always looking out for wholesome programming for my children. My kids have enjoyed VeggieTales, so I was intrigued when I heard that VeggieTales creater Phil Vischer, had developd a new series: “What’s in the Bible?”. When I got my review copy, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t expect to like the series this much!
The new episodes feature muppet-like puppets, animation and interaction with Phil personally. The characters are varied including, a “Sunday School lady”, an anchor man “Buck Denver”, and more. Phil and the characters teach the storyline of the Bible.
In the Beginning, focuses on what the Bible is, and the first half of Genesis. Let My People Go covers the call of Abraham through the end of Exodus. The varied segments, enjoyable characters, unique settings, and the fast-paced teaching combine to capture the attention of kids. Several puns are appreciated by older viewers as well. My kids were spellbound.
More important in my estimation is how the emphasis is on the Bible’s overall story, rather than the heroics of the Biblical characters. The DVDs don’t hone in on how much faith Abraham had and the suffering of Joseph. Instead they tell the larger story, the meta-narrative, of the Bible. This is the “story of redemption”. Important themes are also addressed. Salvation, redemption, atonement, forgiveness– these basic Christian doctrines are explained.
At times, difficult questions (like canonization and the Apocrypha) are explored in a somewhat simplistic manor. But the fact that the show would address such matters gives insight into its aim. These DVDs aren’t about simple entertainment, they aim to instill an affection for the “story of redemption” in the hearts of our children. I recommend them highly.
My thanks go out to Tyndale House for providing me with an advance review copy of the DVDs. I was not obligated to give a favorable review.
Be sure to watch the trailer for a preview. Visit whatsinthebible.com or Tyndale House for more information. You can pick up a copy at your local Christian bookstore, or through Amazon.com.
Don’t forget to enter my free contest for a gift certificate for a free copy of both of the first 2 DVDs in the What’s in the Bible series. Contest closes Friday night, 3/19.
One more thing, you can download coloring sheets for the characters in the DVD here.
Tags: Bible, blog tour, children's, Christian, Christianity, DVD, educational, episode, faith, Family, giveaway, kids, movie, Phil Vischer, product, product review, promotional, Recommended, review, show, teaching, Tyndale House, VeggieTales, Video, Whats in the Bible, whatsinthebible
The interview went well. You can download the audio here: http://mp3.sharpens.org/ISI/20100308ISI.mp3 (10.5 MB). Just right click and select “save target as” or “save link as”. Also, note the first few minutes have spanish programming.
UPDATE: A fellow in my church edited the mp3 for me to remove the spanish programming and miscellaneous stuff on the beginning and end of the audio track. If you have a fast connection you may want to download that version, which is 27 MB. The link to this larger sized file will expire in 1 week.
UPDATE #2: Here is the link to the post on sharpens.org about the interview. I encourage you to visit their website and let them know you appreciated my interview! Subscribe to the podcast (or the blog) too, as they have a wide variety of interesting guests over on that program. Check out their testimonials to get a flavor of the ministry of ISI.
Sorry to keep making much about my interview. I just have to milk the spotlight for all its worth, while it’s still vaguely pointed in my direction! 
Tags: interview, Iron Sharpens Iron, ISI, radio, update
I am participating in the “What’s in the Bible” DVD blog tour this week, sponsored by Tyndale House Publishers. I will be reviewing these new DVDs from Phil Vischer (the creator of Veggie Tales) later this week on my blog. Along with reviewing the new kids series, I will also be giving away to one of my readers, two certificates good for a free copy of the first two DVDs which together cover Genesis and Exodus.
UPDATE: Read my review of these new DVDs here.
Contest Details:
Fill in your name and email below to enter the giveaway for the first 2 What’s in the Bible DVDs. You can follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my blog today, and still qualify for the additional entries.
Plus, there’s an additional step to win 2 additional entries. If you subscribe to my new team book review blog: Crossfocusedreviews.com, you qualify. Just go over and check out the new blog and click “subscribe”!
Contest will end Friday night 3/12 at 8pm CST. Winner will be mailed a Tyndale House gift certificate to take to their local Christian bookstore which is good for a free copy of the DVD.
Use the contact form below to enter the free contest.
Contest is now closed, thanks for participating.
The winner is Marcelo Sanchez!!
Congratulations, your certificates will be mailed out shortly.
Tags: Bible, cartoon, children's, Christian, DVD, giveaway, kids, movie, Phil Vischer, promotion, Tyndale House, Veggie Tales, Whats in the Bible
Interview Details: Live
call-in radio broadcast
Date: Monday 3/8/10
Time: 6-7pm EST / 5-6pm CST
Host: Chris Arnzen
Interviewee: Bob Hayton
Subject: Reforming
Fundamentalism through
Reformed Theology
Station: WNYG-1440 AM
On-Line: www.rcnam.com
& click “Long Island 1440 AM”
I’ll be LIVE on the air with Chris Arnzen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron radio, on Monday 3/8 at 6pm EST / 5pm CST. Here is the teaser that Chris is sending out about the interview. Please tune in and feel free to call in with your questions or comments.
Bob Hayton, founder of Fundamentally Reformed (see www.FundamentallyReformed.com), will address the theme: “Reforming Fundamentalism Through Reformed Theology”.
Bob is a former Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB), who now embraces Reformed Theology. He blogs to: 1) spread a passion for Jesus Christ, 2) help people harmed by extreme fundamentalism, 3) encite wider reform in fundamentalism & beyond, and 4) defend his theological positions. Bob also operates the “King James Only?” blog spot, the King James Only Research Center web site and other helpful blog spots and web sites.
According to our guest, Bob Hayton, “Often in fundamentalism, doctrine and Biblical exegesis are downplayed, ignored, or avoided. Topical or shallow messages prevail. Church members learn their do’s & don’ts but not what the Bible actually says (the arguments Biblical authors use, the context of favorite proof texts, or Bible doctrines in general). While fundamentalists claim to be standing on the Bible alone, rare is the church that actually opens itself up to Biblical scrutiny. For instance, it is an assumed thing that the Bible will not actually be shown to teach Calvinism, post-tribulational rapture, or covenant theology. So anyone who would espouse one of these positions or another similar position is immediately identified as a heretic and the church never actually carefully reviews what the Bible says on the matter…
“Fundamentalists assume that their practices, standards, and positions are Biblical to the point of reading into the Bible what is not there to support their traditions and viewpoints… while fundamentalists claim to be the stalwart defenders of true doctrine, they are in fact the defenders of old-fashioned (actually late 1800’s early 1900’s) tradition…”
Tune or log into this live, controversial, call-in broadcast and learn how Bob Hayton discovered and made the journey to embrace Reformed Theology, the *truly* old “Old Time Religion”.
To call in with questions, dial 631-482-8300. You can listen live to the broadcast at www.rcnam.com [you will have to click "Long Island 1440 AM"]. And the audio file will be freely available soon at sharpens.org.
Tags: Bob Hayton, broadcast, call-in, Calvinism, Chris Arnzen, Fundamentalism, History, IFB, IFBx, interview, Iron Sharpens Iron radio, journey, live, My Journey, News, personal, personal story, questions, radio, Reformed, Reformed Theology, Sharpens, show, Site News, story
In the eyes of many fundamentalists (and by that term I’m referring to the card-carrying, independent Fundamental Baptist variety), if you aren’t either a fundamentalist or an out-and-out liberal, then you must be a new evangelical. ”Neo” is a derogatory term, mind you, not the name of “the one” who will save mankind, ala The Matrix….
Fundamentalists for the most part like solid lines of demarcation between their group and the others. Those others, whether they be conservative evangelicals in general, or Southern Baptists, or Calvinists, their main problem is that they aren’t “one of us”. And this means they can’t be trusted. Furthermore, their problems run deeper than what Bible version they carry. They must be linked in some way, with Rome or liberalism or any other bad thing we can think of.
Problem is, they are independent thinkers, they don’t toe the fundamentalist party line when it comes to “worldly” amusements or cultural taboos. They actually respect Billy Graham to some level, and they don’t think any measure of Calvinism is satanic.
Perhaps the biggest problem, at least it appears so to us who are on the outside looking in, is that these “others” are influential. Leaders like John MacArthur and John Piper, use the Bible carefully and are “building a following” (at least that’s what Fundamentalists might think). Young unsuspecting Christians are led away into all kinds of error and wickedness when they follow these “others”.
I’m not far from the truth. And now that I’ve painted that not too rosy picture, let me encourage you to go read Kevin Bauder’s thoughts on conservative evangelicals. He is incensed at the party-spirit of fundamentalists which view these “others” as enemies or opponents. Rather, they are to be esteemed for their “defense of the gospel”. And this esteem and even a level of partnership is possible without an all out embracing of their every peculiar position on questions of worldliness and matters of secondary doctrine.
I do pray Bauder represents a changing of the guard and that the fundamentalists of today will share their deep-seated faith in and practice of the Bible with their evangelical brethren, come out from their holy huddles and not be afraid of being impacted by some of the clear thinking, Bible-prizing conservative evangelical leaders God had graced the church with today.
Let me offer a few excerpts and then encourage you to go read Bauder’s essay which says all of this in a more scholarly way.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Baptist, conservative, conservative evangelical, evangelical, IFB, independent, independent Baptist, John MacArthur, John Piper, Kevin Bauder, SBC, Separation, Southern Baptist, Unity
Great Deal on Pillar NT Commentary Set
Head over to my new book review site: Cross Focused Reviews for details on book promotions, book giveaways, new releases, book reviews and more.
Today I posted info on a really good sale Westminster Bookstore is offering on The Pillar NT Commentary set, in honor of the recent release of the Hebrews volume by P.T. O’Brien.
Tags: blog, News, offer, Pillar NT Commentary, sale, Westminster Bookstore