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Conservative resurgence and the slippery slope right back down the path toward theololgical apostasy

The conservative resurgence that we have witnessed in the SBC will not last without ongoing spiritual and theological renewal. When noted inerrantists make statements that condemn the teaching of God’s Word as expressed in confessions of faith long esteemed by Southern Baptists (and I am not talking about the Philadelphia or Charleston Confessions here, the Abstract of Pinciples and even the Baptist Faith and Message will do), then they demonstrate that something other than true reverence for God’s Holy Word is driving their agenda. I am not suggesting that Jack Graham and others like him need to be Calvinists in order to prove their commitment to Scripture’s authority, but I am saying that when such guys say that the battle in the SBC was strictly over the Bible and yet they go on to castigate fellow inerrantists and the teachings of confessions of faith that seminary professors have signed saying that they believe and will teach “in accordance with and not contrary to,” then the evidence indicates this sad truth: something other than inerrancy is their real concern.

If this kind of mentality obtains in the leadership of the SBC and spreads to others, then the gains for the cause of biblical authority will be short-lived.

We need to have conversations about conserving the conservative resurgence. Perhaps the attacks on the doctrines of grace will provide such an occasion. I certainly have further thoughts on this subject.

I am currently in the great Pacific Northwest for the Alpha-Omega Conference on Scripture. I hope to blog while here, but given all the travel and communication challenges of the last 2 days, I hesitate to say that it should be easy to do.

Tom Ascol has served as a Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL since 1986. Prior to moving to Florida he served as pastor and associate pastor of churches in Texas. He has a BS degree in sociology from Texas A&M University (1979) and has also earned the MDiv and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. He has served as an adjunct professor of theology for various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary, the Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary, African Christian University, Copperbelt Ministerial College, and Reformed Baptist Seminary. He has also served as Visiting Professor at the Nicole Institute for Baptist Studies at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. Tom serves as the President of Founders Ministries and The Institute of Public Theology. He has edited the Founders Journal, a quarterly theological publication of Founders Ministries, and has written hundreds of articles for various journals and magazines. He has been a regular contributor to TableTalk, the monthly magazine of Ligonier Ministries. He has also edited and contributed to several books, including Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry, The Truth and Grace Memory Books for children and  Recovering the Gospel and Reformation of Churches. He is also the author of From the Protestant Reformation to the Southern Baptist Convention, Traditional Theology and the SBC and Strong and Courageous. Tom regularly preaches and lectures at various conferences throughout the United States and other countries. In addition he regularly contributes articles to the Founders website and hosts a weekly podcast called The Sword & The Trowel. He and his wife Donna have six children along with four sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law. They have sixteen grandchildren.
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