A good Calvinistic brother, Shawn Merithew, posted an article entitled, Our Appreciation for the Conservative Resurgence: A Response to Paige Patterson at Founder.org on December 9th. He begins by graciously thanking Dr. Paige Patterson for his key role in protecting the convention from theological liberalism, but then goes on to provide a critique of Patterson’s recent remarks toward Southern Baptist Calvinists following a sermon on Soteriology offered by Dr. Rick Patrick at a Southwestern Baptist Theological Chapel service. He writes, in part:
By God’s grace, operative through men like Paige Patterson, the Southern Baptist Convention remains firmly rooted in the inerrant truth of God’s Holy Word. So how do we respond when this same pillar of our denomination seems to invite the Calvinists in the SBC to leave and identify as Presbyterians?
As I demonstrated in the presentation below, the context of Dr. Patterson’s comments must be considered along side many other recent comments and clarifications offered to us by this faithful denominational “pillar.” It seems abundantly clear to me that Dr. Patterson’s intent was not to “invite Calvinists in the SBC to leave,” as indicated by Merithew, though it is understandable how his comments could have been taken that way if heard out of context. I encourage anyone who may be confused about these comments to read Dr. Patterson’s clarifying remarks and consider the full context.
To read Dr. Patterson’s own clarification please CLICK HERE.
Kinda reminds me of the accusation that Dr. Mohler called Trads semi Pelagians. But he didn’t, right?
Les, could you link to Dr. Mohler’s clarification?
Sure Donald. He didn’t make a clarification to my knowledge since he never called any Trad signers semi pelagians. Here is a link to his original words where he called no one SPs. http://www.albertmohler.com/2012/06/06/southern-baptists-and-salvation-its-time-to-talk/
It is found via Google.
But Mohler did say about – “A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation” by the group of SB that – “Some portions of the statement actually go beyond Arminianism and appear to affirm semi-Pelagian understandings of sin, human nature, and the human will.” Though Mohler added that these “understandings” are denied by “virtually all Southern Baptists”, he is clearly implying that these “understandings” seem held by the group of SB behind the statement.
I’m a student at SWBTS and while I was taking classes via distance learning at the time this sermon was preached and did not hear it, I do remember during the fall of 2015 that a guest preacher in chapel claimed that “Calvinism is destroying the Southern Baptist Convention!” These shrill remarks really turned me off to his message, since there are much greater genuine threats confronting the denomination than a merely internal soteriological debate. That aside, while the faculty have a largely non-Calvinist bent, I personally never felt that anyone was ever unwelcome or browbeaten due to their soteriological position.