Bdid has done us all a service and started an interesting conversation in crossblogging reactions to NBC.
In the blog below there is an interesting conversation going from this Memphis Declaration signer, Adrian Roger's son. I hope Ryan Hale, another MemDec signer will join this conversation and hoping BDid will Bring Ben Cole here.
Adrian is looking for more ecumenicity within his own world, even going so far recently on his LoveEachStone blog to embrace the Third Congress of the Lausanne Movement, one which Francis Schaeffer rejected on the basis of inerrancy and Billy Graham embraced.
As I have mentioned before, Charles MArsh found this breach between Graham and Schaeffer quite significant; and here in our time may translate into a significant divide between David Rogers and Mohler; as the divide has already taken shape with the Memphis Declaration.
We need Ben Cole's help here.
It may be Rogers will eventually be open to some overtures, but who is to say.
Let us hope they will read deeply in Mark Noll and Marsh, and I guess we will have to let the Spirit lead from there.
I hope this convesation if it gains traction at all, will pick up where Bruce Prescott left off with Ben Cole on his recent Podcast.
http://fromthehillsandhollers.blogspot. ... gwash.htmlDavid Rogers said...
Tim, Tim & David,
You all seem to be missing what I am saying here. I expressed my own reservations about the NBC a long time ago on my own blog here. I am not defending the NBC or Jimmy Carter, et al. Far from it.
But I am saying we should be more known for what we are for than what we are against. The NBC purports to be a celebration of Baptist unity. I happen to believe that true Biblical Christian unity, based on the essentials of the Gospel (not heresy) is a better cause.
What I am asking is, if we are against the NBC, what positive alternatives do we suggest as a means to honor Jesus' desires and obey His commands concerning unity?
January 31, 2008 6:10 PM
David Rogers said...
David,
Thanks for your answer to my question.
I don't think we are that far apart on these issues. However, there is a question of emphasis that I think, to a large degree, many in Southern Baptist life (and in some other groups as well) have neglected or minimized.
The teaching of the NT on the unity of the Body of Christ is, at least as I understand it, quite clear, and quite forceful. And yet, in certain circles, it seems it is rarely ever mentioned in sermons, or blogposts, or conversations, while all the reasons we need to separate from others (many legitimate) are incessantly railed upon.
You say: "we CAN join together with churches of other denominations to pray for our nation. we CAN join together to do benevolent ministries. we CAN join together to fight social maladies that try to invade our town." Maybe you didn't mean it that way, but it comes across as if you are saying it is something permitted if we should feel so inclined, nothing more.
I am not saying we should compromise our own convictions, settling on a least common denominator approach in our evangelistic and church planting efforts. We must teach the Bible as we understand it. But in those areas that don't require us to compromise our convictions, I think we need to, just as God commands us by way of the Apostle Paul, "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit" (Eph. 4:3). Notice he doesn't say: "give a half-hearted effort." He says: "make every effort." And it is not a suggestion, or an option. It is a command.
That is why, whenever we feel the need to point out the problems with misguided efforts toward false unity, we need, at the same time, to do our best to give at least and equally forceful positive message for true, biblical unity.
Sfox> In this latter comment, I think David is getting to a place his father refused to get to in the takeover of the SBC.
So in the spirit of Jesus and David Gushee, let's hope this conversation goes somewhere.