B21′s Jonathan Akin sat down with President Joe Aguillard of Louisiana College to talk about the controversy surrounding his school. The audio is available now, the video will be available soon. Jon has written about this controversy  - In addition, here is an article from the local newspaper The Town Talk on the Louisiana College Situation.

An event like we hosted last Tuesday is not easy, nor cheap to pull off! Every year we have had generous support from many key entities. We wanted to take a minute to thank and highlight those who have helped us sponsor this year’s Baptist21 Panel at the SBC. We absolutely COULD NOT do this without these organizations!

A huge THANK YOU to the following:

• The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
• The North American Mission Board
• The International Mission Board
• Ministry Grid
• Holman Christian Standard Bible
• Lifeway
• Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
• The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• The Cross Church School of Ministry
• The Gospel Project
• Criswell College
• Bethany Christian Services
• World Hope Ministries International 

We encourage you to click on their links, explore the services and ministries they offer, and support these ministries that serve the Kingdom well.

Baptist21

B21′s Jonathan Akin sat down with President Joe Aguillard of Louisiana College to talk about the controversy surrounding his school. The audio is available now, the video will be available soon. Jon has written about this controversy  - In addition, here is an article from the local newspaper The Town Talk on the Louisiana College Situation

Everyone will receive 9 of the following books:

• David Platt Follow Me
• JD Greear Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart
• Eric Mason Manhood Restored
• Thom Rainer I Am a Church Member
• John Piper Brothers, We are Not Professionals
• Matt Carter & Colt McCoy The Real Win
• Trevin Wax Clear Winter Nights
• Stuart Sheehan Worship from the Ground Up
• Jeff Crawford Image of God
• Nik Ripkin The Insanity of God
• HCSB Bible

That is a $140 value for the price of lunch and a panel! Don’t miss out! Register now!

We hope you plan to join us at the 2013 Baptist21 Panel at the SBC. This year, we will discuss pressing issues facing the SBC, such as: engaging culture, mission, church planting, Calvinism, difficult ethical questions, and more!

We’ve got great panelists helping us think through these issues: Akin, Carter, Mohler, Moore & Platt. Is there a pressing question you would like us to ask these men? Please submit it below!

If you are attending the SBC you can register for our event here. This year we will also be live streaming our event. You can check out where to view this by going here.

We look forward to reading through the questions!

We are excited to announce that this year’s B21 Panel June 11^th at 11:30AM at the annual SBC meeting will be broadcast LIVE by Lifeway’s Ministry Grid. To sign up to watch the event click here.

Even if you aren’t able to make it to Houston, you can still watch the panel and learn from Mohler, Akin, Platt, Carter, and Moore on hot topic issues.

If you will be in Houston at the SBC, then register here to attend the panel, eat lunch with us, and receive a bunch of books.

Baptist21 is excited to have Matt joining this year’s panel at the Southern Baptist Convention. Matt Carter is the Pastor of Preaching and Vision at Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, TX. He is the founding pastor of the church, which has grown from a core of 15 people in 2002 to 8,000 today. He is a committed expositor and started Austin Stone by preaching through the Gospel of John. In addition, he is passionate about seeing the church serving the needs of the city and working to bring about its renewal for the advancement of the gospel. The example of Austin Stone and The For the City Network serves as a model for churches all over that are committed to seeing their city renewed and transformed by the power of the gospel.

Matt is a Texas native who grew up in Athens, TX and went to college at Texas A&M. He went on to receive a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He is the author of several books, most recently The Real Win which he co-authored with former University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. This book presents a picture of manhood and success as defined by Scripture. Matt is also known as a youtube sensation for snagging a bird out of the air with his bare hands (see video below)! B21 is looking forward to hearing what he has to share with us in Houston.

Register for the Panel here - the panel will include lunch and free books. Two new books have been added to the list we already released are:

• The Real Win by Colt McCoy & Matt Carter
• Worship from the Ground Up by Stuart Sheehan

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click on the graphic, or here, to register for the Christ-Centered Preaching and Teaching breakfast. 

By Jonathan Akin

In preparation for the discussion of Christ-centered preaching that will be held on June 11 from 630-8AM in Houston at the SBC, I wanted to re-post a summary of my defense of Christ-centered exposition. I hope all of you will join Eric Hankins, Trevin Wax, Ed Stetzer and myself in Houston for beneficial discussion and free books!

I am committed to the Christ-centered exposition of the entire Bible because textually the Bible argues for this kind of interpretation, and practically I don’t want to preach in a way that could produce moralism.

Christ-centered interpretation was the method of Jesus and the Apostles

Jesus and the Apostles interpreted the Bible as all about Jesus. In Luke 24, Jesus says that each division of the OT was about him, and he rebukes the 2 disciples on the way to Emmaus for not seeing this. Also, Jesus tells his opponents that Moses wrote about Him (John 5:46). These men were experts in the OT, and yet they didn’t read it rightly because they didn’t see that it was all about Jesus. The apostles followed Jesus’ teaching. Each sermon in the NT is a Christ-centered proclamation of the OT, whether evangelistic ones like in Acts or the “exhortation” of the book of Hebrews. And Paul says that the purpose of the OT is to bring you to saving faith in Jesus (2 Tim 3:15).

Christ-centered interpretation takes into account the dual authorship of the Bible and treats it as one book instead of a collection of 66 books.

Dual Authorship

A common approach to the Bible today is the historical-grammatical method of interpretation. Among many things, this position says that the valid interpretation of a text can only be the meaning intended by the human author for his original audience. However, this doesn’t do full justice to the unique nature of the Bible. We should consider the authorial intent, but there is a dual authorship to the Bible in which we have to take into account the Divine Author. This doesn’t mean that there is a contradiction or tension between the Divine and human author, but it does mean that the human author could’ve been inspired to write more than he knew at the time (1 Peter 1:10-12).

One Book

Also, this method primarily approaches the Bible as a collection of 66 books and not one book. However, the NT’s use of the OT means that we have to read it backwards to make sense of it. Similar to reading a mystery novel, once you read a story and know the end, you can never read it the same way again. And rereading with the end in mind you see clues and hints along the way that point you to the final outcome. That is the way the New Testament tells us to read the OT to see all the shadows of Christ!

We should never let our hermeneutical methods allow us to disqualify the approach of Jesus and the Apostles. Like them, we must read the OT through the lens of the NT. Their method should be the criterion for our day, not vice-versa!

Christ-centered exposition avoids moralism by basing the imperatives to live faithfully in the gospel indicatives of what Christ has already done for us

How do we interpret the story of David and Goliath?

First, in my judgment, to say that the intention of the author of 1 Samuel was for his readers to face giants fails both to account for the intention of the Divine Author or the human author. 1 and 2 Samuel are about the rise of the Davidic monarchy. The intention of the author in this narrative is to show that David is a better king than Saul.

Second, we can’t assume that the Old Testament author wants us to read each OT account as examples to follow. What then is the point of Genesis 12? If you lie about your wife and let another man take her into his harem then God will plague the man and enrich you? This moral example approach is inconsistent at best and often incompatible with OT accounts.

Third, why is it that we always identify with the Spirit-anointed hero who produces the line of the Messiah? This betrays our own pride. Why don’t we assume that the author intends for his audience to primarily identify with the cowardly people who can’t face the giant? Why not see this as communicating “you need a champion to save you”?

Fourth, we also misinterpret the NT in this way. One key example is the temptation narratives. We act like the point of the text is that because Jesus learned his verses in RA’s he was able to quote them to defeat Satan’s temptation. However, Jesus isn’t first an example showing us how to fight sin; He is a Savior who succeeds where Adam, Israel, and we have failed. He defeats the serpent for us by not bypassing the cross. We are not ready to face temptation until we recognize that we’ve failed to perfectly fight off temptation, flee to Jesus for salvation, receive His Spirit and are enabled to fight a foe that has already been defeated.

The text does have something to say about faithful living, but only IN Christ and mediated through him. Once the enemy is defeated and you have the Spirit (like David/Jesus), then you can face down the enemies like the Israelites, but not before. Don’t miss that step! If we remove Christ from our exposition we give our people hollow moralism.

CONCLUSION- One of the first places I learned Christ-centered exposition was listening to great SBC preachers like W.A. Criswell and Adrian Rogers preaching Christ from the story of Joseph’s bones (Gen 50), the wilderness serpents (Num 21), and the healing of Namaan (2 Kings 5). I pray that God would raise up another generation filled with men like this who preach Christ from ALL the Scriptures!

Southern Baptists were given a great gift in the Conservative Resurgence (CR) as we reaffirmed our commitment to Sola Scriptura. We were taught in the Resurgence an absolute commitment to the inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of the Scriptures. We are indebted to men like Patterson, Pressler, Criswell, Rogers, Vines, and many more for this work. This work is a grace gift to us younger SBC’ers, one that we dare not miss. There are many observable benefits of the CR. One of the most apparent is that there are 6 SBC Seminaries that affirm the inerrancy and sufficiency of the Scriptures.

I believe the CR has directly led to trends and current debates in Baptist life that some may view as curses and others as blessings. However, I see these trends and debates as the outworking of treating the Word of God as inerrant, sufficient, and authoritative. I would like to bring up three of these, though I believe there are others. The architects of the CR may or may not necessarily love all of these trends, but I believe these are directly linked to these leaders passing on a confidence that the Scriptures are sufficient! I believe we should be thankful for these current trends and debates when viewed through the lens of the debates we might be having had the CR never taken place.

• The Surge in Reformed Theology in the SBC – Perhaps this is the current conversation that brings the most heat. I believe a surge in Reformed Theology can be directly linked to the CR. Calvinism was not being debated in our seminaries or churches prior to the CR the way it is now. This should be viewed as a healthy development. Not only can this be a legitimate interpretation of the Scriptures, but this position has also been held by many of our forefathers and foremothers whom we love, admire, and respect (Lottie Moon, SBTS founders, and more). Many in the young reformed camp would point to this absolute commitment to the sufficiency of the Scriptures (reading through Romans, Ephesians, etc) as the reason that they began to embrace the doctrines of grace. I believe we should see this as a healthy discussion (though at times the more extreme voices on each side are very unhelpful, and I wish they didn’t have access to computers!) since it is healthier to be debating the finer points of soteriology than the exclusivity of the gospel.
  • Note: I just want to add a side note about the young reformed group in the SBC. I believe if there was humble, open dialogue on both sides, then they would find that they have much more in common than they think. I think many of these young reformed have been heavily influenced by the CR in that they are committed not only to reformed theology, but also Expository Preaching, an absolute commitment to Penal Substitution that permeates their preaching, and to the primacy of the church. This is observable in their preaching through books of the Bible and their commitment to Regenerate Church Membership. So, though they tend to be different than their Fathers in things like casual dress and contemporary worship (which they see as a sufficiency issue because the Bible doesn’t address dress or musical worship style), there is much similarity in what they hold as most central.

• A Commitment to Plurality of Elders – Another hotly debated issue is whether or not there should be a plurality of elders in a local church, or whether “elder” is even a good term to use synonymously with pastor. I believe this surge in the SBC can also be directly linked to the CR. I am confused by some of the heat in this debate. I think any fair reading of the text would yield a plurality of Elders in an autonomous, local church as one viable option. Though many SBC churches do not employ this leadership structure (nor use the name Elder), it is a viable option in the NT.  In addition, the heat over the use of the term “Elder” is troubling because it is by far the preferred word used by Paul and the apostles. Further, some even levy an accusation that churches/men that use this terminology or have plurality are “Presbyterian.” This sort of rhetoric and name-calling does not help the church leadership conversation, demonstrates a lack of understanding, and misses the prevalence of the term to represent leadership in the NT. It is quite possible to have a plurality of Elders leading the body, while at the same time having congregational responsibility (I pastor/elder in such a church). I believe the increasing amount of churches using this terminology and polity in Baptist life can be directly linked to the CR. Many of those employing plurality and using the term elder for their pastors would point to the Scriptures repeated use of the term as the reason why they employ the term and polity. I think this is also a healthy conversation. It is better to ask these questions about vocabulary and polity rather than whether or not to ordain homosexuals as Pastor/Elder/Overseer.

• Christ-Centered Preaching: Should we preach Christ from every text, especially in the OT? This is a good question to explore, and it is a preferred debate to the ones other denominations have. I am glad we are discussing whether Jonah was a type of Christ rather than if there ever was a prophet named Jonah and if a big fish ever swallowed him. (Note: There will be a panel on this topic at this year’s SBC)

So, I am very thankful for the CR. It has led to a confidence in the Scriptures. And it has led to the SBC having “debates” and conversations that are different than sister denominations. Instead of an unhealthy sign, I believe we should see these conversations as a sign of health. Though I get tired of our fighting over Calvinism (usually from the extremes on both ends), I do believe we are having healthy conversations and I would not trade our discussions for others. However, I do hope we can move forward with all of these topics as family not sniping at one another over them since all of these issues can be legitimate outcomes of a belief in the sufficiency of the Scriptures. I am thankful for this commitment to the Scriptures that has been passed down to us. This commitment has taught us to search out what these Scriptures say about things like church order, life, salvation, God, and many other things. And I am thankful for the men of the CR who led us to this confidence in the Word. They have certainly impacted the church I serve, which is why we often speak at Imago Dei of being a people seeking to stand “under” the authority of the Word.  

The B21 Panel (Danny Akin, Matt Carter, Albert Mohler, Russell Moore, and David Platt) will discuss topics like this Tuesday, June 11 at this year’s SBC in Houston – Register today (Lunch and Free Books Provided)

Join us for the 2013 Baptist21 Panel!

The annual Baptist21 panel will be Tuesday, June 11 during the lunch break at the SBC annual meeting in Houston. The panelists will discuss pressing issues facing the SBC, such as: engaging culture, mission, church planting, Calvinism, difficult ethical questions, issues facing some Baptist colleges, and more. 

The panel will include a lunch and free books such as:

• Follow Me by David Platt
• Manhood Restored by Eric Mason
  
• I Am A Church Member by Thom Rainer
• Brothers We Are Not Professionals by John Piper
• Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart by JD Greear
• Image of God by Jeff Crawford 
• The Insanity of God by Nik Ripkin
• Holman Christian Standard Bible on behalf of HCSB

Panelists Include:

• Danny Akin, President SEBTS
• Matt Carter, Pastor of Austin Stone
• Albert Mohler, President SBTS
• Russell Moore, New President of the ERLC
• David Platt, Pastor of Brook Hills

Cost:

• Early Registration $10 – Through May 31st.
• Late Registration $13 – June 1st – Event date

We hope you will join us for this exciting event! You can register by clicking the link below.

Register for the Event Here