I remember our exchange on Calvinism. Thanks again for encouraging me to keep trying to patiently persuade.

I appreciate your interaction over here. I don’t always agree with myself on everything . Feel free to participate, and ask questions or contradict me on some point. Truth is a community project as we all sharpen each other as we aim to understand and appreciate God’s Truth better.

Blessings to you in Christ,

Bob

Your answer to the above 3 comments was well thought out and Biblical. Honestly I enjoyed reading it. I have often wondered about the passage where Paul speaks of rejoicing over the Gospel being preached by those who defame and despise him. I find in your post possibly for the first time an understanding of that passage that answers my ponderings. As for your blog, I probably don’t see eye to eye on all of your conclusions, but I appreciate that you have thought it all out for yourself. A well thought out conclusion will win in every debate. A while back through, the kindness of your answer you convinced me of the theological correctness of a balanced view of Calvinism. If you had slammed me in my ignorant disagreement, I would have rejected your view. Just the same I enjoy your blog from time to time, and find it thoughtful and insightful.

Joshua

How nice of you all to gang-tackle me!

One of you (I’m guessing) left a post that I did delete. Here’s why, I thought it was a random potshot comment. There was nothing constructive about it at all.

Since you three are together in this, I’ll leave your comments up. In fact I rarely delete comments. If you search the archives you can find plenty of debates and people voicing opposite opinions.

Now your 3 comments are not very winsome. You are not trying to convince me of my error, and you are not employing the non-quarrelsome, patient tactics that 2 Tim. 2:24-26 would ask you to. Also, you are not treating me as a sinful brother, which is how we are to treat those who are disobedient and get thrust out from us, or leave — see 2 Thess. 3:14-15. There was no first and second admonition, before you have rejected me — Titus 3:10. Furthermore, there is no broken-hearted spirit over the error of my ways, the kind of sadness that Paul displays in Phil. 3:18.

Rather than trying to be like Aquila and Priscilla and “[explain] to [me] the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26), you rather are against me, because I am not “following you” (Mark 9:38-40). You also do not rejoice that I through my blog am preaching Christ, even if I am doing so contentiously, in your opinion — yet Paul would have you rejoice (Phil. 1:15-17).

Rather than rejoicing in what you can find that is good, you are rejoicing in evil. You are revelling and gloating over my fall.

This attitude you display is patently unChristian. You won’t find this attitude in the NT. I am no rank heretic, denying the deity of Christ or adding circumcision to the Gospel. Such harshness of tone does not become you.

By all means, disagree with me. I’d welcome you to interact with my actual claims and arguments. And for you to bring forth Biblical reasons as to why I am wrong. I honestly desire to obey God and hold to everything He wants me to hold to. I do fear tradition for tradition’s sake, and am aware that the traditions of men are sometimes put in a higher position than God’s words. I understand this can happen on whatever side of the fence you are on.

I implore you to wake up to the cynicism, pride and ill-spirit which appears to be evident in your comments here.

I do pray God blesses you richly through Jesus, even if you never come to agree with me on any issue other than the Gospel.

I encourage you to check out this post about the Gospel being big enough and important enough to unify around.

In Christ,

Bob Hayton

I looked at that site briefly, and I would have to not recommend it. It looks like Landmarkism, the belief that only Baptist churches which can trace their lineage back to Christ are legitimate. I stand with great Baptists of the past like William Kiffin of London, who felt that churches ultimately take their authority from God’s Word and His Commands, not a linear human line of authority. I also sympathize with great Baptists like John Bunyan who felt that non-Baptists were fellow Christians worthy of welcoming to our Lord’s Supper tables, and even into church membership.

I am Baptist, and Baptists are great. But Baptists don’t have a corner on the old time religion. We need to be careful to affirm other Biblical churches as fellow Christians and fellow members of Christ’s bride.

Blessings in Christ,

Bob Hayton