Chapman’s Oversight

Morris Chapman, President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, gave his report this morning (June 23).  The report, entitled, “The Great Commission Resurgence”, contained two great pearls of wisdom which were unstrung by a rant denouncing Calvinism (and in highly ignorant fashion).  The pair of powerful points made by Chapman, in my opinion, were these:

• “We must NEVER subvert the changeless Gospel to an inordinate fascination with changing cultural forms and sociological trends.  To hide the lamp of the Gospel under the bushel of cultural compromise is a grievous sin against the Spirit.  Some of the church-growth methodologies that masquerade under the guise of Bible exposition are increasingly known for the crude themes and the vulgar language of their strongest advocates.  The sacred desk is no place for the carnal, the sensual, and the sensational.”
• “Too often, we are jealous of how the Lord is blessing one of the brethren.  We look at the enrollment of the other seminary, the endowment of the other institution, the building or the budget of the other church.  We count the numbers and we wonder why God is doing more for them than He is for us.  To those of us who are always pressing for a higher profile in convention life or climbing the ladder of ambition, the LORD would tell us that the greatest place is the place of service.  It is the lowly floor of the basin and the towel, not the throne of power and authority.  We must prefer to kneel at another’s feet in service, than to stand in the synagogues and street corners. And when God chooses to bless one of His servants for their faithfulness, we must avoid watching with benign interest – and often a critical spirit.  We must follow the example of Christ himself, and seek to be the servant of all.”

It is unfortunate that Rev. Chapman, who has long been a voice of reason within denominational life, made the following comments:

“The Southern Baptist Convention is experiencing a resurgence in the belief that divine sovereignty alone is at work in salvation without a faith response on the part of man.  Some are given to explain away the ‘whosoever will’ of John 3:16.  How can a Christian come to such a place when Ephesians says, ‘For by grace are you saved through faith’ (Eph. 2:8)?  I do not rise to become argumentative, or to change minds already convinced of one perspective or the other.  But I do rise to state the obvious.  Man is often tempted to design a theological theory in light of a biblical antinomy in order to clarify what God is trying to say.  Man’s system will be inferior to God’s system now and forever. Why is it so difficult to accept from God what we cannot fully explain? After all, He didn’t begin to tell us everything He knows, but what we need to know to be redeemed and live righteously.  The belief that sovereignty alone is at work in salvation is not what has emboldened our witness and elevated our concern for evangelism and missions through the ages.  This is not the doctrine that Southern Baptists have embraced in their desire to reach the world for Christ. If there is any doctrine of grace that drives men to argue and debate more than it drives them to pursue lost souls and persuade ALL MEN to be reconciled to God – then it is no doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man both are taught in the Bible. Both are necessary elements in the salvation experience. A healthy tension (an antinomy) exists in the Bible with regard to these two important biblical truths. Both are present in the salvation experience.”

To claim that ‘Calvinists’ teach that no faith is required to receive salvation is simply ludicrous.  ‘Calvinists’ maintain that the gospel is to be proclaimed indiscriminately to all, that all are commanded to repent and believe (exercise faith), and that God will (and must) act decisively to bring about salvation in the heart of rebellious sinners.  Chapman is entirely correct – Scripture teaches both divine sovereignty and human responsibility.  No ‘Calvinist’ denies this whatsoever.  Chapman went on to declare that when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Church on the Day of Pentecost, believers did not “engage in idle arguments about the extent of the atonement, or the nature of election.”  He added:

“When the early church was baptized with God’s Spirit, they instead hurled themselves to the farthest corners of the earth to preach the soul-saving name of Jesus. From day one, they were steadfast in prayer, praise, and proclamation.  They were a missionary people before anything else.  We would do well to remember this.  Sure, there were struggles and hardships from the very beginning.  But they refused to lose their focus in the midst of the difficulties.”

This statement is absolutely true, yet what undergirded the Church as they went forward was faith in the absolute sovereignty of God.  Simply look at their prayer from Acts 4:24-29:

“And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, Your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against His Anointed’ — for truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness.”

There was no need for those early Christians to argue about what Scripture clearly teaches about predestination, particularly in relation to evangelism.  The Apostle Paul understood this as well when he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).  Divine sovereignty (predestination and election) is inextricably intertwined with evangelism.  Chapman’s poor choice in stating such things led Dr. Danny Akin to denounce the presentation as “shameful,” and Dr. Albert Mohler claiming he wanted to start a recovery group for those who had to sit through the address.  Nonetheless, I have no doubt Drs. Akin and Mohler wholeheartedly affirmed Rev. Chapman’s affirmation that the SBC must not be deterred from carrying forward with the Great Commission.  I certainly affirm that, as do all ‘Calvinists’ within the SBC.  May we join hands as brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, going forward for His sake to take the gospel to the nations.