July 1, 2002
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Positive impact on controversy
___For several years, I have considered what the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board staff should do to help resolve or at least diminish the effects of the controversy that has plagued the Southern Baptist Convention and the BGCT for over 20 years and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention more recently.
___I understand we cannot significantly change anyone other than ourselves. Therefore, here is what I believe I should do to attempt to have a positive effect on the controversy:
___ Do every
thing I do with integrity.
___ Always tell the truth.
___ Do what I say I'm going to do (be trustworthy).
___ Treat others as I desire to be treated.
___ Not judge others.
___ Demonstrate my strong conviction that the Bible is perfect, true and trustworthy by living according to its teachings as our Lord enables me.
___ Pray fervently for every member of every church that voluntarily relates to the SBC and/or the BGCT and/or the SBTC.
___ Encourage and assist Texas Baptist churches and associations as we all strive to love God, love people and make disciples (Matthew 22:37-39 and 28:19-20).
___Of course, I am imperfect, just as everyone who reads this letter lacks perfection. Therefore, I am confident I will not accomplish perfectly every goal I have listed every moment of every day. However, I sincerely desire to do so, and I am confident Christ who abides in me is fully capable of enabling me to do so.
___
Mackie McCollister
___
Arlington
Laughable, tragic comments
___Regarding "Scholar compares TNIV critics to Tyndale's critics" (May 27), thank you for reporting both sides of this debate. However, it cannot be stressed enough that Mark Strauss' comments are so far removed from fact as to be laughable if not so tragic. This issue is accuracy, not availability of vernacular Bibles.
___William Tyndale created an accurate English translation from authoritative Greek manuscripts at a time of Roman Catholic oppression when the Bible was not widely available in English.
___Today, obtaining an English Bible is little more difficult than obtaining a glass of water. Comparing the two situations belies the facts; Strauss is either woefully ignorant and deceived, blindly loyal to this translation or assumes gross ignorance on the part of his audience.
___The Today's New International Version and certain other Bible translations are corrupt and should be criticized. "For we are not as many, who corrupt the word of God; but out of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:17).
___Strauss' slanderous and preposterous accusation stating that critics of the TNIV would be viewed as the murderers of William Tyndale would not be shared by Tyndale himself. He was a scholar more concerned with accuracy than political correctness. Incidentally, Tyndale's New Testament translates the example of 1 Timothy 3:11 quite differently than the TNIV rendering. Instead, it agrees with good English translations and is as easily understood today as when written.
___
Ken Locklin
___
Austin
Housing allowance clarification
___Having served nine years of my ministry as Annuity Board representative for Texas, I would like to address the recent issue that has surfaced concerning housing allowance for ministers.
___We attempted to communicate with lay persons that while the minister does have the advantage of tax-free housing allowance, the other side of the coin is that the minister is considered self-employed for Social Security purposes. Therefore, that amount paid into Social Security is doubled to 15.3 percent. While it is true that a number of churches pay the increase, many--if not most--churches do not. I often was asked the question, "Do ministers have to pay income tax and Social Security?"
___A further situation for a good number of ministers is that the church "gives the pastor" a house. Unfortunately, when the pastor leaves, the house stays. Too many times, I tried to assist a pastor who came to retirement with low income and no place to live. Thankfully, more churches today are utilizing a housing allowance rather than furnishing a home.
___We had this experience, and one of the best things that happened to my family was moving to denominational service and being forced to vacate a parsonage (we lived in four of them) and provide our own home. It enabled us to come to retirement better prepared.
___
Bill Roe
___
Cleburne
'One of them'?
___I read with interest the articles related to the recent meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis (June 17).
___Most interesting to me was the article detailing the election of officers--especially the defeat of the SBC's longtime registration secretary, Lee Porter. As I read that article, as well as your related comments, I was underwhelmed with the primary reason given by Ronnie Floyd in nominating Jim Wells for consideration as registration secretary. Floyd stated that Wells "is one of us." Even before reading that statement, however, I thought to myself, "This is nothing but politics as usual."
___As I have watched the SBC rally around the fundamentalist agenda and force out the more moderate elements, I have lamented yet have tried to stay with the SBC--if for no other reason than for the sake of our international missionaries.
___Yet with the recent decision by the International Mission Board to require affirmation of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, I can no longer with a clear conscience continue to support their agenda.
___It has been gradual, but I have in recent years come to the sad realization that I am no longer "one of them."
___
Randy Evans
___
Rotan
Dangerous words
___Concerning Jerry Vines' remarks about Mohammed and Muslims (June 17), let me say that Vines spoke the truth. Everything he said can be documented from Islamic sources.
___However, the Bible says we are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). I see very little love in Vines' words. Certainly no love for Muslims, no concern for those who work for Christ among Muslims and no respect for those who differ from us.
___We do not win friends or influence people positively by making statements which we should know will be offensive to those to whom we are trying to witness of the love of Christ.
___In fact, to make such statements from the comfort of a well-protected position in a comfortable setting in America could be construed as cowardly. I wonder if he would make those statements in Saudi Arabia. He has just made it very difficult, if not impossible, for me to identify myself as a Southern Baptist when I go back to the North Africa-Middle East area later this year.
___I am not at all happy with his thoughtless and callous remarks, which could easily lead to danger for International Mission Board personnel.
___
David King
___
Marshall
Destroyed bridge
___Each year when the SBC meets, the secular press waits for Baptists to do something that gives them fodder that negatively affects our witness.
___Jerry Vines certainly did so during this year's convention. His remarks were an attack on a people.
___I have looked through my Bible, and I see where Jesus met people with love and compassion exactly where they were and loved them into being better.
___Must we put ourselves in a position of being used by the devil every time the SBC meets? Should we not hear the simple gospel as Jesus preached it, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father except by me"? He never preached, "You (or they) are infidels and pedophiles." Jesus' life was lived in such a manner that few could resist his love and compassion.
___In Israel, great strides are being made toward reaching the Muslims. I don't think this is being done through a cry of damnation because in that nation missionaries go without bearing the name "missionary." They live a life that attracts rather than repels.
___As long as we destroy the bridge over which we must cross to reach people for the Lord, we will never reach a lost and dying world. Let's get back to our mission of leading and attracting lost souls to our Lord.
___
Dorothy Cook
___
Odessa
Grieving God
___I do not know which group grieved God the most at the SBC annual meeting--the group inside with the harsh condemnations or the group outside that was protesting.
___I know God loves both groups.
___
Betty Elliott
___
Highlands
So hurt
___I am so hurt to see what some supposedly smart men are doing in the SBC.
___Our missionaries went through a pretty tough test just to be appointed to give their lives to a foreign field to try to tell people and win people over to Jesus.
___Now we have people putting undue pressure on them to sign a creed that in no way helps to lead people to know Jesus.
___We have a Bible that is inspired by God but written and translated by men. Notice I said, "inspired by God." We don't need to worship the Bible; we need to worship God. Study his word.
___I read God's word about every day, and I know it inspires me, and I know the bottom line is to tell people about Jesus. We have as Christians the responsibility of witnessing to the lost, not to tell people how and what to believe.
___Colossians 2:8 says, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human traditions and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ."
___It is hard to know who to believe at times. But pray and tell people about Jesus, and hardly anyone could do wrong.
___
Olan Crow
___
Richardson
No creed
___Gratefully, I was born into a Southern Baptist family in the middle of World War I. Dad was a dedicated deacon; Mother was a spiritual Bible student teacher. The doors of our little church seldom opened without our being there.
___At the age of 11, I was well-versed in Scriptures and Bible character stories, but I came to realize that although I knew about Jesus, I did not know him in a personal way as Lord and Savior. I committed my life to him and received believer's baptism in a leaky tin baptistry.
___I have on various occasions sat at the feet of spiritually led teachers and Bible expositors. So now, at 86, I have never felt the need of having a hierarchy-mandated creed, as I do believe that God's holy word interprets Christ sufficiently.
___I sing with gusto: "My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed. I trust the ever-living One, his wounds for me shall plead. ... It is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me."
___
George W. Hawkes
___
Arlington
Lack of logic
___In the recent articles on open theism (June 24), we are left with an astounding lack of logic by the very bright minds who have attempted to explain this theology.
___Roger Olsen says, "The main line of biblical argument in favor of open theism is all the instances in which God relents in response to prayer." That's like saying, "It will rain tomorrow, so I will eat lunch." What does one have to do with the other?
___God certainly responds to prayer. Does that mean he cannot/does not know everything--including what I will pray and when I will pray it and how he will respond? Of course not. God's knowledge is not limited by my prayer life!
___Wallace Roark says, "If the human is genuinely free, God cannot know which option will be taken until it is acted upon." How can my free will hamper God's knowledge? Can God not know what I will choose--and how he will respond--without interfering with my freedom? Of course, he can!
___It seems as though in our attempt to understand God, we have reduced him to the size of our puny minds. Shame on us.
___I don't know about you, but I need a big God--bigger than I can imagine and comprehend and explain.
___
Billy Edwards
___
Hewitt
Thanks for openness
___I want to thank Roger Olson of Truett Seminary and his call for us to openly, civilly and constructively discuss open theism (June 24).
___I also thank God for Olson and other Truett faculty members who encourage Christians to think for themselves.
___
Scott Presnall
___
Waxahachie
The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
|