The Top Blog Posts of the Week

by the Contributing Editors of SBC Today

This is a list of recent blog posts which we found interesting.  That we found them interesting doesn’t mean we necessarily agree with or endorse the ideas presented in the posts, but that we found them to be intriguing and thought-provoking.  (They are listed in no particular order of interest). Please post your comments to discuss  any article that strikes your interest. If you have recent blog posts to nominate, please send the link to sbctoday@gmail.com.

About Theology

• “Basic Baptist Doctrines/Beliefs,” by David Brumbelow in the Gulf Coast pastor blog, with an outline of Baptist doctrines that he offers in training his deacons and other leaders.
• “The Bible Teaches Libertarian Free Will Debate,” Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, and Part 12, in Arminian Chronicles, with a debate between Dan Chapa and “Turretin fan” on whether or not the Bible teaches Libertarian Freedom.
• “The Root of Angry and Divisive Calvinists, Part 1,” “Part 2,” “Part 3,” “Part 4,” “Part 5,” “Part 6,” and “Part 7,” by Mike Leake in the SBC Voices blog, continuing his speculating about the cause of the common phenomenon of young angry Calvinists, referring back to a remark by John Newton about young men with “notions too hastily picked up” — although, strangely, being angry and divisive does not seem to be something for which these young Calvinists are accountable. Nonetheless, the series does offer some constructive suggestions about how to deal constructively with such young Calvinists.
• “Why I Find David Rogers’s One-Loaf Argument Unconvincing,” by Bart Barber in the PraiseGod Barebones blog, debating distinctions between pedobaptists and credobaptists.
• “Four Reasons We Know that Creation Is Good and Has Great Value,” by Ken Keathley in the Theology for the Church blog, with reasons for affirming the goodness and value of creation.
• “Original Sin vs. Original Guilt,” by Randy Everist in the Possible Worlds blog, underscoring the important distinction between original sin from original guilt.
• “Calvinist Rhetoric: Prooftexting,” by Martin Glynn in the SEA blog, with some hermeneutical mistakes made by some Calvinists in defense of their position.
• “Church Fathers on Foreknowledge and Freewill,” in the SEA blog, with citations from eleven important early church fathers affirming the view endorsed by Arminians.
• “Pros ton Theon: Sabellianism or Modalism,” by Stephen Garrett in the Baptist Gadfly blog, clarifying this key term in John 1 and its implications for Christology.
  

About Issues in the SBC

• “State Execs Form NAMB Study Committee,” by Tim Yarbrough of Arkansas Baptist News for Baptist Press, with information about the Baptist state convention executives seeking to find more cooperative ways of working with NAMB.
• “NAMB vs. State Conventions: A Simple Solution,” by Dave Miller in SBC Voices, with a call for greater giving for cooperative giving by local churches to ease the tug of war for funding between NAMB and the Baptist state conventions.
• “Kansas-Nebraska Exec Says NAMB Changes Present Huge Challenges,” in Arkansas Baptist News, with a report of the negative impact that the changes at NAMB have had on the Kansas-Nebraska Baptist Convention, hurting Baptist work in this pioneer area.
• “CBSB Report Contends: Changes at NAMB Impact California Missions,” by Tim Yarbrough in Arkansas Baptist News, citing a report by the California Baptist State Convention how seven new NAMB initiatives are negatively impacting Baptist work in California.
• “North American Mission Board’s Strategic Shifts and the Impact on the California Baptist Convention,” a document summarizing the seven NAMB initiatives identified by a report by the California Baptist Convention as negatively impacting Baptist mission work in California, with responses to each concern by NAMB.
• “California Baptist Convention Addresses New Mandates from NAMB,” by Bob Hadley in SBC Issues, with commentary on the concerns expressed by California Baptists by the recent changed policies at NAMB.
• “Ohio Resolutions Address NAMB Changes,” in Baptist Press, with two resolutions from the Ohio Baptist Convention expressing concern about the negative impact of NAMB’s policy changes on missions work in Ohio.

About Mark Driscoll’s Invitation to Speak at Liberty University

• “Mark Driscoll’s Speaking Invitation at Liberty University Sparks Controversy,” in the Christian Post, providing an account of the events in this controversy.
• “Mark Driscoll’s Mesmerizing Hold on LU and Evangelicalism,” by Howell Scott in the From Law to Grace blog, raising questions about Liberty University’s invitation for Mark Driscoll to speak on their campus.
• “Liberty University Training Champions or ?,” by Tim Guthrie in the Winning Truth blog, who, writing as an LU graduate, asks if the institution is performing up to its tagline of “Training Champions for Christ” jives with inviting Driscoll to their campus.
• “Real Marriage and Natural Sex,” by Bart Barber in the PraiseGod Barebones blog, with his take on Mark Driscoll’s book Real Marriage.

About Ministry and Worship

• “Problems with Evangelism,” by Fletcher Law in the Fletcher Law and Grace blog, with suggestions about how to overcome fears about doing evangelism.
• “Confront the Problem, Not the Person,” by Waylon Bailey in his blog, with advice about how to deal with a problem involving a friend (especially in ministry).
• “Bubba, Tebow, and Celebrity Christianity,” by Randy Stone in the Pursuing Ministry Excellence blog, commenting on the impact for Christ of celebrity Christians.

Religious Discrimination and the Vanderbilt University Case

• “Timeline: Obama Administration Actions Affecting U. S. Religious Freedom,” by Sarah Pulliam Bailey in Christianity Today, with a litany of federal moves against religious liberty.
• “Anti-bias Policies Drive Some Religious Groups Off Campus,” by Bob Smietana in USA Today, citing how “all comers” policies are driving Christian student groups underground or off campus at Hastings College (University of California), University of Buffalo, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, and Vanderbilt University.
• “Vanderbilt Faith Groups Follow Catholics Off Campus,” in the Washington Post, recounting how the eleven groups in Vanderbilt Solidarity are joining Vanderbilt Catholic in moving off the Vanderbilt University campus to avoid religious discrimination at the hands of the university.
• “Vanderbilt’s Intolerant ‘Tolerance’ Policy Force Christian Groups Off Campus,” by Sarah Torre in The Heritage blog, recounting how the religious discrimination of Vanderbilt University has forced Vanderbilt’s Catholic fellowship to move off campus as a matter of conscience.
• “Group Takes Dispute over VU Nondiscrimination Policy to Alumni,” by Bob Smietana in The Tennessean, noting a new media campaign by the Restore Religious Freedom at Vanderbilt group to mobilize Vanderbilt alumni to help students resist the religious discrimination policies of Vanderbilt.
• “Vanderbilt’s Right to Despise Christianity,” by Michael Stokes Paulsen (Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas) in the Witherspoon Institute Public Discourse blog, with a careful discussion of the legal issues involved in Vanderbilt University’s discrimination against religious groups.
• “Reverend Gomes and Religious Freedom,” by Tish Harrison Warren (Campus Minister for Vanderbilt’s Intervarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship) in Inside Vandy, noting the irony of incoming freshmen students at Vanderbilt being required to read a book by Gomes, an openly gay Baptist whom the New York Times described as one of the leading religious voices against intolerance, when in fact Gomes openly rebuked Harvard University for a policy very similar to Vanderbilt’s policy which intolerantly discriminates against religious groups on campus.
• “Threats to Religious Freedom on Campus and Across the Nation,” a YouTube video of a panel discussion with Jim Blumstein, Robert P. George, and Michael Paulsen, moderated by Vanderbilt Christian Legal Society director and Law Professor Carol M. Swain.

About Christians and Society

• “How The Hunger Games Reflects Biblical Truth,” by Alan Cross in SBC Voices, with a review and biblical perspective on the popular movie The Hunger Games.
• “Christianity in Crisis? A Response to Andrew Sullivan,” by Trevin Wax in the Kingdom People blog, with a response to Sullivan’s cover story in Newsweek calling for Christians to “forget the church and follow Jesus.”
• “Fact Check: Obama’s Supreme Court Remarks,” by Brooks Jackson, in SBC Today, with a fact check on Obama’s claim that the Supreme Court had never overturned a law that had been enacted by Congress, and that Obamacare was enacted by a strong majority in Congress.

About the Personal Devotional Life

• “The Sacrifice of Self,” by Brad Whitt in his blog, with a devotional thought about self-sacrifice based in Isaiah 53:11, a sacrifice perfectly exemplified in Jesus.
• “Social Media and the Approval Addiction,” by Pete Wilson (author of Empty Promises: The Truth about Your Desires, and the Lies You’re Believing) in the Saved through Faith blog, with an interview by Ed Stetzer about ministers and other Christians suffering from an addiction to the approval of others.
• “Marriage: The First 50 Years Are the Hardest!” by Joe McKeever on his blog, reflecting on the top ten mistakes they made in those 50 years of marriage, and “Marriage: Ten Things We Got Right (in 50 Years),” with ten things they did well.
• “Jesus Knew Who He Was,” by Ed Steele in the Worship Heartcries blog, expanding on some remarks by Norris Grubbs on the reason found it so easy to serve others.
• “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?” by Bob Loyd in the Bob’s Worldview blog, with a devotional thought on 1 Samuel 15:22.