Dr Paul Allen

I’m a baptist but you don’t need to capitalize the b for me. First and foremost, I’m a Christian, identifying primarily with Christ, and only secondarily with my dear Baptist brothers and sisters. We baptists sometimes encounter a tension created by our baptistic convictions: How do we, as baptists, orient to those whose baptismal belief and practice differ from ours? In particular, how do we relate to paedobaptist individuals and churches? Paedobaptism (from the Greek root paedo for “child”) is the practice of baptizing the children of believers in infancy, in anticipation of their profession of faith in Christ. Rather than baptizing after someone professes faith, as credobaptists do (credo for “faith”), paedobaptists regard baptism as the New Testament counterpart to Old Testament circumcision. Therefore, they administer the visible, public sign of the covenant to the children of Christians. Now, we baptists believe that paedobaptists err in their baptismal theology and practice. We ...

English: A painting created by Leonardo Da Vinci depicting St John the baptist (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 11:7-15  "For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come" (  vv. 13-14 ). Given John the Baptist 's earlier declarations about Jesus , his doubts about the Lord's identity raised in  Matthew 11:1-6  could have led many to question the consistency of his ministry. How could they not doubt his steadfastness and teaching since he has gone from exalting Jesus ( 3:13-17 ;  John 3:22-36 ) to inquiring if He is truly the Christ ? Alternatively, how could they trust in Jesus as the Messiah if the beloved John the Baptist had doubts about Him? Jesus addresses these thoughts with His own questions. When swayed by the wind, the long reeds beside the Jordan River are visual metaphors of those who teach according to the whims of men. Christ's inquiry about the reed intends to ask ...

English: The inside of an Orthodox church. Greek Orthodox Church. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Jeremiah 6:1–15 “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” ( v. 14 ). Throughout history men have appeared who would become famous for seeking peace at any price. Perhaps the greatest twentieth-century example of such a figure is the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who in 1938 proclaimed that he had achieved “peace in our time” with Adolf Hitler even as he was preparing to unleash his blitzkrieg on Europe. Chamberlain’s aversion to hostility was so great that Hitler played him for a fool. Conflict is something that most people, when given the opportunity, try to avoid. Peace is so desirable that significant differences between individuals and groups are often ignored, and unity is sought under the lowest common denominator. When peace is sought under these auspices, it can be easy to ignore the importance of truth altoge...

English: "John Wesley," by the English artist George Romney, oil on canvas. 29 1/2 in. x 24 3/4 in. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) FAQ : What is “classical Arminianism?” A: “Classical Arminianism” has nothing to do with “Armenia.” It is a type of Christian theology especially associated with 17thcentury Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius (d. 1609). However, I also refer to it as “evangelical synergism” (“synergism” here referring to “cooperation” between God and creature) because Arminius’ beliefs did not begin with him. For example, Anabaptist theologian Balthasar Hubmaier promoted much the same view almost a century before Arminius. In brief, classical Arminianism is the belief that God genuinely wants everyone to be saved and sent Christ to live, die and rise for everyone equally. It is the belief that God does not save people without their free assent but gives them “prevenient grace” (grace that goes before and prepares) ...

English: Temple garments, underwear worn by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS; Mormons). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Baptists , Mormons , and Jehovah’s Witnesses . All three claim to believe in Jesus. Yet, only one of these groups can be rightly classified as a denomination rather than a false religion. With that in mind, the question we are asking today might be stated as follows: What are the marks of cult groups and apostate forms of Christianity that identify them as false religions—such that we can and should label them as heresies, rather than simply classifying them as different denominations? The New Testament articulates three fundamental doctrinal criteria by which false teachers (and false religions) can be identified: 1. A Wrong View of Salvation False religions (whether they claim to be Christian or not) attempt to add good works to the gospel of grace (cf. Rom. 11:6). Rather than trusting in Christ alone for salvation, they seek t...

English: Albert Einstein Français : portrait d'Albert Einstein (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Life" and "Liberty" are terms that have powerful and positive connotative value to us. We are "pro-life" and "pro-liberty." Such emotionally-laden terms can be definitionally evasive, however, since they stir our passions as well as our reason. As we consider our expectations of the state and our role therein, it is important to be clear about our understanding of such terms. "Life" has both a political and a religious definition.  In the political arena, "life" is biologically defined; the state defends "life" by protecting people from acts and policies that would injure or take away their lives, biologically considered. The state may wage defensive war, for instance, to defend its citizens' lives.  The state establishes police forces to "protect and serve" our physical well-being, and the stat...

From "Baptizing in the Jordan" by Silas X. Floyd (1869-1923) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) It was almost six years ago when a group of  fifteen Southern Baptist evangelists met together to bemoan the growth of Calvinism  within SBC circles. When asked about his concerns, Jerry Drace (the evangelist who initiated the meeting) explained that some Baptist pastors are so Calvinistic “that they almost laugh at evangelism. It’s almost to the extent that they believe they don’t have to do it. So [Calvinism] gives them an excuse not to do evangelism.” Drace’s comments raise an important question.  Does an affirmation of God’s sovereign election in salvation (commonly called “Calvinism”) deter people from faithfulness in evangelism? An answer to that question could be approached from several different angles. One could, for example, consider evangelistic efforts among Baptists — comparing those who embrace the doctrine of election with those who do not.  An S...

English: John the Baptist baptizing Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 11:16–19 “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates” (v. 16). Jesus finishes His teaching on Elijah and John the Baptist with the enigmatic statement, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15). This saying presupposes the biblical view of human depravity, revealing that human beings need more than ears to hear — to receive, understand, and act upon — divine revelation. It is not as if those who oppose Christ ’s message cannot hear spoken syllables and sounds with their ears. Instead, the hurdle that prevents sinful humanity from receiving and embracing the Lord’s message is a moral one. Apart from God ’s sovereign grace, His enemies do not want to believe His promises or follow His agenda (Ex. 7:13; Matt. 23:37–39; Rom. 1:18–32). Christ makes this point forcefully in today...